Iran Blasts Updates: The commemoration of the fourth anniversary of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani’s assassination took a tragic turn as two bomb explosions near his tomb claimed the lives of at least 73 people and left 171 others wounded, according to reports from Iran’s state media.
The incident unfolded during a procession near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in the southern city of Kerman. The deputy governor of Kerman characterized the explosions as a “terrorist attack.”
A disturbing video circulated online, depicting the aftermath with several bodies strewn across a road after the Iran blasts.
🚨 First scenes from #Iran 🇮🇷 following mysterious explosions near Qassem Soleimani's grave, on the occasion of the anniversary of his assassinationpic.twitter.com/FKvh24shGb
— Zechariah Shar'abi | זכריה | زكريا (@ZechariahSharab) January 3, 2024
⚡️Update on the terrorist attack in Iran
73 dead, 120 injured
The terrorists used two remote-controlled briefcases to detonate them in the middle of the crowd.
23,000 Iranian civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks over the last four decades.
17,000 of them were… pic.twitter.com/5lcTL9LrNG
— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) January 3, 2024
The explosions occurred as hundreds of people were participating in a ceremony to honor Gen Soleimani, who met his demise in a US drone strike in neighboring Iraq in 2020.
Soleimani held a position of immense influence in Iran, ranking just below Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. As the head of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards’ overseas operations arm, Soleimani played a pivotal role in shaping Iranian policies across the region.
Among his duties were supervising covert operations and offering counsel, finance, armaments, information, and logistical assistance to armed factions and allied countries. Benefiting from this assistance were notable groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. One of the main designers of Iran’s regional strategy was the slain commander.
The US decision to carry out the drone strike was made by then-President Donald Trump, who, in the aftermath, labeled Soleimani as “the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world.”
The latest incident near Soleimani’s tomb has not only resulted in a significant loss of life and injuries but has also heightened tensions in the already volatile region, with Iran now grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event.