Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenel has promised a harsh response to a bomb attack on crowds at the anniversary of spymaster Qasem Soleimani’s assassination by the US. The attack occurred in Kerman in southern Iran and killed 84 people and wounded many more. The death toll was reduced from an initial 95 to 84 on Thursday morning. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
President Ebrahim Raisi’s political deputy blamed the United States and Israel for the attack, however, the US dismissed any suggestion Washington was involved and said it had no indication that Israel was involved. Suspicion may fall on Arab separatists and Sunni jihadist groups such as Islamic State who have carried out attacks on civilians. Wednesday’s attack comes amid heightened tensions in the region. The deputy leader of the Iran-backed Palestinian group, Hamas, was killed in an apparent drone strike in Lebanon. The first bomb was detonated around 15:00 local time and the second bombing took place about 15 minutes later. Both blasts occurred outside of security checkpoints, however it is unclear how they were detonated.
Read More: Iran leader vows harsh response to deadly bombings that killed 84
