Explosions at memorial service - Iran: State mourning and search for perpetrators after attack
Following the devastating explosions in Iran that left more than 80 people dead, the authorities are searching for the perpetrators and want to uncover the background. The government in Tehran spoke of a terrorist attack, as did the German government and the EU. However, no group is claiming responsibility for the attack. Experts believe it is conceivable that the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia could be behind the attack.
The US government rejected allegations that it was involved in the attack. It also said it had no reason to believe that Israel was involved.
The attack took place amid dangerous tensions in the Middle East: Iran's arch-enemy Israel is at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and is confronted by Iran-backed militias such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Over 80 dead and more than 280 injured
It was the attack with the most victims in the 45-year history of the Islamic Republic. On Wednesday, the anniversary of the death of the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani, more than 80 people were killed and 284 injured in two explosions in his home town of Kerman.
Officials had twice revised the death toll downwards from an initial 105. Jafar Miadfar, head of the rescue service, explained the confusion surrounding the number of victims by the devastating condition of some of the bodies.
The country, which has a population of almost 90 million, is in a state of mourning. Iran's diplomatic missions abroad had their flags flown at half-mast, including the embassy in Berlin.
The burial of the victims is to take place on Friday at a martyrs' cemetery. Around two thirds of the victims have now been identified, said the governor of the province, according to the state news agency Irna.
Who is behind the attack?
Iran's leadership condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms, but avoided apportioning blame. Religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi announced a decisive response. Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi published findings from the initial investigations after visiting the sites of the attacks. Among other things, the remains of the two explosive devices, which were detonated 20 minutes apart, were examined.
The Sunni extremists of the IS militia had already claimed responsibility for attacks in Iran in the past. IS considers the predominantly Shia majority in Iran to be apostates of Islam and despises them. The Shia, the smaller of the two major branches of Islam, is the state religion of the Islamic Republic. A regional branch of IS is active in neighboring Afghanistan.
Hardliners accuse Israel
Kerman is the home of Soleimani, the former commander of the foreign units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). The USA killed him in a drone strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020. He is revered as a martyr by pro-government supporters. The explosions on Wednesday occurred as crowds of people made a pilgrimage through the streets of the provincial capital to Soleimani's grave.
Influential hardliners, meanwhile, blame Israel for the explosions. There are many reasons to assume "that the Zionists (Israel) were involved in the terrorist explosions", according to an editorial published on Thursday by the arch-conservative newspaper "Keyhan". The authors call for swift revenge for the attack. Otherwise there could be a repeat attack in the capital Tehran, the article warned.
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- Despite the EU, German, and Iranian government's labeling of the incident as a terrorist attack, no group has claimed responsibility for the explosions in Kerman.
- The Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia is speculated to be behind the attack due to their past claims of responsibility in Iran.
- After the explosions, the Federal Government lowered the German embassy's flag in Kerman as a sign of national mourning in Iran.
- The attacks in Kerman on the anniversary of General Ghassem Soleimani's death were the deadliest in the 45-year history of Iran, with over 80 fatalities.
- The Iranian government, while condemning the attack, has yet to identify the perpetrators, calling for a decisive response but avoiding accusations.
- Hezbollah and Israel are previously known adversaries, and tensions between them rise with Israel fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip and confronting Iran-backed militias in Lebanon.
- The Islamic State, known for its hatred of the predominantly Shia population in Iran, considered apostates, might have had a motive to carry out the explosions.
- Amid the ongoing investigations, officials examined the remains of the explosive devices used in the attacks, which occurred 20 minutes apart.
- The US government denied any involvement in the Kerman explosions and claimed there was no evidence linking Israel to the tragic event.
- Kerman, home to General Soleimani, witnessed deadly explosions during a crowd of people who paid their respects during the commemoration of his death.
Source: www.stern.de
