Crowds flocked to the grave of Iranian General Soleimani when two horrific explosions suddenly occurred. There are dozens of dead and injured. It’s not just Iran that talks about terror.
On the anniversary of the death of the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani, around 100 people were killed in two explosions in his hometown of Kerman. State media reported that 211 other people were injured. Iran’s government spoke of a terrorist attack. It was the deadliest attack in the 45-year history of the Islamic Republic. The government ordered national mourning for Thursday.
The background to the explosions was initially unclear. Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the alleged attack. Iran’s government spoke of a terrorist attack. The federal government and the EU foreign service condemned the attack as an act of terrorism.
A spokesman for the US State Department said that so far the US government had no independent information about the possible reasons for the explosions. “It’s still too early, at least for us, to say what the cause might be,” Matthew Miller said in Washington on Wednesday.
Terror attacks of this magnitude are extremely rare in Iran. According to media reports, the condition of many of the injured was critical. There was great concern that the number of victims could continue to rise. Iran’s Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi set out to personally oversee the care of the injured.
Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi announced a decisive reaction. “Our police forces are vigilant and will bring to book those who committed this crime,” the minister said. Wahidi said most people died in the second explosion. The exact background will therefore be investigated. UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack – those responsible must be held accountable.
Kerman is the home of Ghassem Soleimani, the former commander of the foreign units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The USA killed him in a drone strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020. Soleimani is revered as a martyr by government supporters loyal to the system. At his funeral there was a mass panic with more than 50 dead. Propaganda images of the general are also emblazoned on the walls of houses in the capital Tehran.
A bang and screams – television broadcast the procession
Crowds of people made pilgrimages through the streets of Kermani to his grave site to mark the anniversary of Soleimani’s death. The provincial capital is located in the Iranian province of the same name, surrounded by vast desert areas. The explosions are said to have occurred just a few hundred meters away. In a segment broadcast live on state television, bangs and screams could be heard. The videos showed how panic broke out and people fled the scene of the explosions.
Reporters from the state agency Irna spoke of a “horrific sound of an explosion.” During a live broadcast by a state television reporter, rescuers could be seen rushing to a hospital with injured people in the background. Images from the attack sites showed blood-soaked sidewalks, damaged vehicles and torn clothing. Security forces cordoned off the pilgrimage site. Hospitals were put on alert.
More than a year ago, the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shiite shrine in the cultural metropolis of Shiraz. The attack in October 2022 killed more than a dozen people.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
