World leaders decry terror attacks in Iran
Teheran vows revenge after deadly blasts near burial site of slain general
TEHERAN — Iran vowed revenge on Thursday for explosions on the previous day that killed at least 84 people at a ceremony near the burial site of Iran’s slain general Qassem Soleimani as countries across the globe strongly denounced the blasts.
The twin attacks — labeled a “terrorist attack” by state media and regional authorities — came amid high Middle East tensions over the Gaza conflict and the killing on Tuesday of a Hamas senior leader in Lebanon, Agence FrancePresse reported.
No one claimed responsibility for the explosions, which sparked fears of a widening conflict in the region, rattled global markets, where oil prices jumped more than 3 percent and sparked global condemnation.
The blasts occurred as many people gathered at the cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman to mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a US drone strike.
An earlier death toll of 103 was twice revised lower after officials realized that some names had been repeated on the list of victims and also due to the severity of wounds suffered by some of the dead, health authorities said, The Associated Press reported. Many of the wounded were in critical condition.
The first blast was about 700 meters from Soleimani’s tomb and the second was a kilometer away, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman Province for political and security affairs, said the explosions were carried out by “terrorists”, the IRNA reported.
The IRNA news agency said the cause of the blasts was under investigation and that rescue teams were at the scene. It added that most of the injuries were caused by overcrowding and panic.
Iran observed a day of mourning Thursday for the attacks.
Soleimani, one of the most powerful military commanders in Iran, was killed on Jan 3, 2020, near Baghdad’s international airport in a drone strike ordered by then-US president Donald Trump.
He was buried in his hometown of Kerman after a funeral that drew millions of mourners across Iran. Iran denounced the assassination as “state terrorism” and vowed revenge.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday that China is deeply shocked by the serious terrorist attack in Iran which caused heavy casualties.
China opposes all forms of terrorism, strongly condemns terrorist attacks, and firmly supports Iran’s efforts to maintain national security and stability, Wang said.
The Chinese embassy in Iran said that no Chinese citizens were hurt in the incident. It asked Chinese citizens in Iran to pay close attention to the local security situation and strengthen personal safety precautions.
Following the incident, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the attackers will face “a harsh response”.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said: “Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and leaders of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished”.
“Washington says USA and Israel had no role in terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? A fox smells its own lair first,” Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
US officials, meanwhile, rejected any suggestion that it or its ally Israel was behind the deadly blasts.
“The United States was not involved in any way. And the suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous. And No 2, we have no reason to believe that Israel is involved in this,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked about the blasts, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “We are focused on the combat with Hamas.”
The United Nations, European Union, and several countries, including Russia, Turkiye, and Germany, denounced the blasts.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms and said those responsible must be brought to justice, according to a statement issued by the UN chief’s office.
Expressing condolences
In a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell strongly condemned the deadly incident, and extended condolences to the victims’ families and the Iranian government and people, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.
According to a statement from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin had sent a message to Khamenei and Raisi, saying that Russia strongly condemns terrorism in all forms and reaffirms its commitment to the uncompromising fight against it.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a phone call with Raisi, condemned the twin attacks “targeting civilians”, reiterating his call for Iran to act jointly in the fight against terrorism.
It was also decided during the phone call to postpone Raisi’s visit to Turkiye, originally scheduled for Thursday, “to a later date”, said Erdogan’s office, which was also confirmed by Mohammad Jamshidi, Raisi’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs.