On Thursday, the Islamic State asserted responsibility for the tragic twin explosions in Iran, claiming the lives of nearly 100 people and injuring numerous others at a memorial event for the late commander Qassem Soleimani.
The militant Sunni Muslim group released a statement on its affiliated Telegram channels, revealing that two IS members had detonated explosive belts amid the crowd gathered at a cemetery in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman on Wednesday. The memorial marked the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death, who was assassinated in Iraq in 2020 by a U.S. drone.
White House spokesman John Kirby acknowledged Islamic State’s claim, stating that the United States was not in a position to doubt the group’s responsibility for the attack.
Tehran has vowed retaliation for this deadliest assault since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with 284 individuals, including children, sustaining injuries. Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber declared, “A very strong retaliation will be meted out to them by the hands of the soldiers of Soleimani.”
In response to the attacks, Iranian authorities have called for mass protests on Friday, coinciding with the funerals of the victims. The Revolutionary Guard Corps characterized the explosions as a cowardly act, aimed at destabilizing the region and seeking revenge against the nation’s deep love for the Islamic Republic.