Iran:- Many people lost their lives in the Iranian city of Kerman on Wednesday after twin explosions near the cremation site of dead military leader Qasem Soleimani, which officials termed as a n acts of terror attack.
The explosions, at least one of which was caused by a bomb, occurred on the fourth anniversary of Solimani’s death in a US airstrike, and threaten to increase stress in the area, which have been high since the begining of the Israel-Hamas battle for Gaza.
According to Jafar Miadar, the head of Iran’s national emergency organization, at least 84 people were killed and 284 others were hospitalized. The death count was dropped because of an eroor in body parts counts.
Statements:- Iran
Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, blamed Israel for the blasts and alerted that Israel will pay a “heavy price.”
Raisi warned in a speech aired live from Tehran, that the consequences of their crimes and the crimes that they have executed will be unpleasant. Iran’s cabinet chief, Ali Raisi, has warned that Israel’s punishment will be “regrettable and severe.”
The Israeli military updated that it had “no comment” on the matter, while the US State Department there ws no evidence for believing that Israel was participating.
Experts and a US official thought that the explosion was a terrorist strike.
“I think it looks like a terrorist attack based on the MO, smiliar to what we’ve seen ISIS do in the past.” And, as far as we’re aware, that’s our at present operation belief,” the official mentioned.
Irans has already been exposed to severe Islamist terror attacks.
In the southern city of Shiraz in 2022, at least 15 people were killed and 40 additional were injured. ISIS immediately took credit for the attack, stating that it targeted parties of “Sunni infidels.”
According to IRNA, the forst explosion exploded 2,300 ft (700 m)from Soleimani’s grave, while the second exploded 0.6 mile (1kilometer) distant as visitors the location of tragedy.
On January 3, 2020, Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike instructed by previous presdient Donal Trump at Baghad International Airport.
According to IRINN, another official news channel, the fist explosion near Soleimani’s grave was triggered by a bomb packed in a luggage inside a Peugeot 405 car and looked to be triggered remotely.
During an interview with Iran’s national news station IRIB, Home Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated that the fist explosion happened around 3:00 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET).
According to Vahidi, the second, more deadly bomb explosion occured 20 minutes later, when other pilgrims came to help the injured.
After the explosion, videos published by Iranian official television;
Footage aslo additionally displayed bleeding victims being taken away from the area, as well as ambulances thransported from the location amid the large crowd also showed massive people rushing in the nearby areas.
.Iran’s Supreme Ayatollah ALi Khamenei has warned of a “harsh response” to those involved in the blasts, stating that the bright soldiers of Soleimani’s path will not tolerate their dishonesty and crimes.
Following the attacks, Iran declared Thursday a day of mournin, and Raisi canceled his planned trip to Turkey.
Soleimani, a powerful Irani leader, led the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, a regarded force responsible for Iran’s global activities, which the US deemed a foreign terrorist organization.
According to the Pentagon, Soleimani and his soldiers were “responsible for the deaths of thousands of American and multinational service menbers, as well as the wounding of thousands more.”
Solemani, known as Iran’s “shadow commander,” directed Quds Force since 1998 and was the genius behind Iranian military operations in Iraq and Syria.
Solemani’s longtime lieutenant and successor as chief of the Quds Force, General Ismail Qaani, labeled the crimminals as “desperate,” adding that “the Islamic Republic will not change the method of destroying the Zionist government.”
The blast occurs at an important turning point in the region:-
The incident happened during rising regional tensions as Israel battles a three month war in Gaza against Hamas in response to the terrorist group’s October 7 attack on Israel.
According to the Hamas-run military of Health in Gaza, the dispute has killed over 23,000 people and provoked fights outside of Israel and Gaza, often involving Iran-backed militants.
A top Hamas commander was killed in an explosion in a Beirut suburb on Tuesday, according to US official. Israel has neither acknowldged or denied participation, but Hamas and Hezbollah, which predominate the area, have laid blame on Israel and pledged punishment.
Iran and many of its armed supporters accused Israel of killing a top Iranian general in Syria last week, threatening punishment. Israel made no statement on the matter at hand.
Soleimani’s murder:- Iran
In a speech, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated that the killing of the Hamas official in Beirut “won’t go unpunished.”
Israel accuses Iran of supporting Hamas, accusing Iran of supporting Hamas. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claims Iran is in a “multi-arena war” with seven attacks.
Following the bombings, Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed “terrorism in all its forms” in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday.
Both the European Union and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opposed the explosions on Wednesday and requested that those at fault be held responsibility.
The United States has recently increased its military involvement in the Middle East. Following an incident that injured three US staff members, the Pentagon conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah and “associated groups” in Iraq last month.
In addition, after coming under fire, US helicopters sunk three vessels that were belonging to Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, killing all on board.
The White House emphasized that it is not aiming a larger war. In reaction for Israel’s attack on Hamas, the Houthis have carried out many attacks on ships carrying cargo in the Red Sea, hurting trade in one of the world’s largest waterways
