CGTN

Copied

People stay next to destroyed cars after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, January 3, 2024. /CFP

Two explosions killed at least 95 people and wounded more than 210 others on Wednesday at a ceremony held in Iran to commemorate commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2020, local media reported.

Iranian Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi told the state TV that the death toll has been revised to 95 from 103, while 211 others have been injured, making it the deadliest attack in the history of the country, which has faced similar attacks in the past from various groups, including the Islamic State (IS).

In a live interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), the minister said the previously reported higher figures resulted from mistakenly calculating some of the victims' names twice.

Soleimani, one of the most powerful military commanders in Iran, was killed on January 3, 2020 near Baghdad's international airport in a drone strike ordered by then-U.S. President Donald Trump. He was buried in his hometown of Kerman after a funeral that drew millions of mourners across Iran.

The image shows people along a road near the martyr's cemetery in Kerman, Iran, January 3, 2024. /CFP

'Act of terror'

Iran denounced the assassination as "state terrorism" and vowed revenge. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts yet.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday vowed a "tough response" for those behind the act. He stressed that those who killed the innocent people by perpetrating the "act of terror" and those who masterminded and ordered it "will be the definite target of just punishment from now on."

"They should know that they will receive a tough response for creating this disaster," he added.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday also condemned the "criminal act of terror" in a condolence message, vowing that those behind the incident "will soon be punished for their cowardly and heinous move," according to a statement published on the website of his office.

Raisi highlighted the necessity to identify those who had orchestrated and ordered the move, calling on all provincial officials to take the necessary measures to alleviate the pains of those harmed in the incident, treat the injured and restore order and calm in the city.

Iran has in the past blamed Israel for attacks on individuals or places within its borders – claims which Israel has neither confirmed nor denied.

U.S. 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," U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller told a regular news briefing on Wednesday.

"We don't have any more details in terms of how it happened or who might be responsible for it," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters as he answered a question on the explosions.

"We have no indication at this time at all that Israel was involved in any way whatsoever," he added.

People and Iranian emergency personnel stay next to destroyed cars after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, January 3, 2024. /CFP

Global reactions

Several countries, including Russia, Türkiye and Germany, have condemned the attacks, while the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for those responsible to be held accountable.

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.

In a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell strongly condemned the deadly incident and extended condolences to the victims' families and the Iranian government and people, also wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

According to a statement from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin 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 in the phone talk to postpone Raisi's visit to Türkiye, originally scheduled for Thursday, "to a later date," said Erdogan's office, which was also confirmed by Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs.

"We are deeply saddened by the many deaths in today's explosions in Kerman, including many children," the German Foreign Ministry wrote on social media platform X. "We condemn this act of terror."

The people of Iran deserve a future in peace and security, the ministry added.

Families of victims of the explosions gather at the courtyard of a hospital in the city of Kerman, Iran, January 3, 2024. /CFP

The Iraqi government issued a statement condemning the explosion and described it as a "terrorist attack in Kerman."

"In a show of solidarity, our government stands with Iran, expressing support for both the Iranian government and its people during this difficult time," the statement read. "Iraq expresses willingness to offer various forms of assistance, aiming to alleviate the impact of this cowardly criminal act."

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, said those who were commemorating the death of Soleimani were "targeted." He added that those who died were "martyrs who died on the same road, cause and battle that was led by" Soleimani.

The Houthi group in Yemen also condemned what it called "criminal bombings."

"This heinous crime represents an extension of all the crimes that attempted to undermine the Islamic Republic, its role in confronting global arrogance, its adoption of the nation's central cause, and its support for the resistance forces in Palestine and Lebanon," a statement read.

(With input from agencies)