Ministry: 95 dead in explosions in Iran

An explosion in the Iranian city of Kerman kills dozens of people and injures more than 200. The incident occurred near the grave of General Soleimani, whose death is being commemorated for the fourth time today. The background is still unclear.

On the anniversary of the death of the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani, there were two explosions near his grave in his home town of Kerman, killing dozens of people. 95 people were killed, said Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi. State media had previously spoken of 103 fatalities. Eynollahi justified the correction by saying that some of the victims' names had previously been counted twice. Around 30 patients were still in a critical condition, the minister said. According to Eynollahi, a total of 211 people were injured. Kerman's deputy governor spoke of a terrorist attack, as the state broadcaster Irib reported.

Iran's President Ebrahaim Raisi condemned the terrorist attack. According to a government statement, he instructed the authorities to alleviate the suffering of the victims and the injured. At the same time, he called for a decisive response. "Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and commanders of this cowardly act will soon be identified and (...) punished for their heinous act," the head of government was quoted as saying. The country's political leadership declared tomorrow, Thursday, "a day of public mourning throughout the country".

The background to the explosions is still unclear. Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the suspected attack. Terrorist attacks on this scale are extremely rare in Iran. The USA rejected any responsibility. "The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. He added that his government also had "no reason to believe" that Israel had anything to do with the incident.

Reporters from the state news agency Irna reported a "horrific sound of an explosion". According to the semi-state news agency Nournews, "several gas canisters exploded on the road to the cemetery". Kerman's deputy governor spoke of a terrorist attack, as the state broadcaster Irib reported. State television showed Red Crescent rescue workers treating the injured at the ceremony, where hundreds of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Soleimani's death. Pictures from the attack sites showed blood-strewn sidewalks, damaged vehicles and shredded clothing.

Hezbollah chief expected to speak

Kerman in central Iran is the home of Ghassem Soleimani, the former commander of the foreign units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). The USA killed him in a drone attack in Iraq on January 3, 2020. This led to a dramatic escalation of tensions in the region and a retaliatory strike by the Iranian armed forces on a US base in Iraq. Soleimani is revered as a martyr by pro-government supporters. Propaganda pictures of the general are also emblazoned on the walls of buildings in the capital Tehran. Kerman is located in the Iranian province of the same name, surrounded by vast desert areas.

On Wednesday, too, crowds of people made a pilgrimage through the streets of the provincial capital to Soleimani's grave. The explosions are said to have occurred just a few hundred meters away. In a clip broadcast live on state television, a bang and screams could be heard. The videos showed panic breaking out and people fleeing the site of the explosions.

More than a year ago, the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shiite shrine in the cultural metropolis of Shiraz. More than a dozen people were killed in the attack in October 2022.

To mark the anniversary of Soleimani's death, the Secretary General of the Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, plans to give a speech in the evening. Against the backdrop of the killing of a leader of the Islamist Hamas in Lebanon the day before, the speech is eagerly awaited. There are concerns that the violent death of Saleh al-Aruri, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, could lead to a further escalation of the conflict with Israel. Hezbollah, which is allied with Hamas and is considered the Islamic Republic's most important non-state ally, had announced its intention to retaliate.

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In light of the anniversary of General Ghassem Soleimani's death, the explosions near his grave in Kerman, Iran, have resulted in the loss of 95 lives and left over 200 injured. The Iranian President, Ebrahaim Raisi, strongly condemned the terrorist attack and called for a swift response, while also expressing concern for the well-being of the victims and the injured.

Source: www.ntv.de