National mourning and threats after deadliest attack in Iran for decades

National mourning and threats after deadliest attack in Iran for decades

The "responsibility for this crime" lies "with the US and the Zionist regime and terrorism is just a tool", wrote Iranian presidential advisor Mohammad Jamshidi on the online service X, formerly Twitter. The current commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Al-Quds Brigades, Esmail Kaani, declared that the crowd in Kerman had been "attacked by bloodthirsty people equipped by the United States and the Zionist regime".

President Ebrahim Raisi declared on Wednesday that there was "no doubt that the perpetrators of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished". Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei blamed the "evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation" and announced a "harsh response".

Washington firmly rejected the accusations. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described "any suggestion" of US involvement as "ridiculous". His government also had "no reason to believe" that Israel had anything to do with the incident, Miller said before a trip to the Middle East by US Secretary of State Blinken.

A high-ranking member of the US government compared the attack to attacks by the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS). "It looks like a terrorist attack of the kind IS has carried out in the past, and that's what we're assuming at the moment," the government representative told journalists. At first, no one officially claimed responsibility for the attack.

Regarding the number of victims, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi said on Thursday that the number of "martyrs in this incident" was "84 according to forensic statistics". Originally, there had been talk of more than a hundred dead. According to the emergency services, 284 people were also injured, 195 of whom are being treated in hospital.

According to state media, Wednesday's attack was carried out with two bombs detonated about 15 minutes apart near the Saheb al-Saman mosque in Kerman, where the grave of General Kassem Soleimani, who was killed by the USA in 2020, is located. Numerous people had gathered there on Wednesday on the fourth anniversary of his death. Soleimani had commanded the Al-Quds Brigades, the branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards responsible for foreign missions.

The attack took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East. It was the deadliest bomb blast in Iran since 1978, when at least 377 people were killed in an arson attack at a movie theater in the southwestern city of Abadan.

The attack has fuelled fears that the war between Israel and the Iranian-backed pro-Iranian Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has been going on for three months, could spread to the region. Previously, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is allied with Hamas, had already threatened to retaliate after the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri in Lebanon.

Numerous countries condemned the attack, including China, Saudi Arabia and Russia. China's head of state Xi Jinping declared that he had informed his colleague Raisi that he was "shocked by the serious terrorist attack". China rejects "all forms of terrorism" and "firmly supports Iran's efforts to maintain national security and stability".

Horror and expressions of condolences also came from the European Union. Following a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell wrote in online networks that he "condemned this terrorist attack in the strongest terms" and expressed his "solidarity with the Iranian people".

Meanwhile, security sources in neighboring Iraq reported that two pro-Iranian fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi network had been killed in an airstrike in the east of the capital Baghdad. According to the militia, it was a US attack. One of the commanders of the network was among those killed.

The Hashed al-Shaabi network is a coalition of former paramilitaries who have been integrated into Iraq's regular army. The Islamic Resistance associated with it, a loose association of armed groups, mostly claims responsibility for attacks on US troops stationed in Iraq. The US-led military coalition in Iraq and Syria is intended to help prevent a resurgence of IS.

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1. Iranian presidential advisor Mohammad Jamshidi accused the United States and Israel of being responsible for the deadliest attack in Iran for decades, labeling terrorism as a tool.
2. Esmail Kaani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Al-Quds Brigades, stated that the crowd in Kerman was attacked by individuals equipped by the United States and Israel.
3. President Ebrahim Raisi confirmed that the perpetrators of the cowardly act would be identified and punished, assuring there was no doubt.
4. Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's spiritual leader, announced a harsh response against the "evil and criminal enemies" of the Iranian nation.
5. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller dismissed any suggestion of US involvement as ridiculous, with no reason to believe Israel had any connection to the incident.
6. The deadly bomb blast occurred near the Saheb al-Saman mosque in Kerman, which houses General Kassem Soleimani's grave, and is a significant location for the Iranian people.
7. The attack took place during a period of heightened tensions in the Middle East, as countries like Lebanon faced threats from pro-Iranian organizations.
8. China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia were among numerous countries that condemned the attack, with Xi Jinping expressing shock and support for Iran's efforts to maintain security and stability.
9. The European Union also condemned the attack, with EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell expressing solidarity with the Iranian people and strong disapproval.
10. Iraqi security sources reported that two pro-Iranian fighters were killed in an airstrike in Baghdad, with the Hashed al-Shaabi network attributing the attack to the US.
11. The Hashed al-Shaabi network is a coalition of paramilitary groups integrated into Iraq's regular army, with ties to various armed organizations like Islamic Resistance.
12. The incident in Iran highlights the ongoing tension between Iran and the United States, as well as other regional powers, raising concerns about the potential for further escalation.
13. Matthew Miller urged world leaders to stop threats and work towards de-escalation, emphasizing that regional adversaries should focus on dialogue and understanding to prevent further tragedies.

Source: www.stern.de