Over 70 killed in explosions near Soleimani gravesite in Iran

At least 73 people were killed and over a hundred injured after two explosions occurred in southeastern Iran’s Kerman province, near the cemetery where Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani is buried, as thousands held a commemorative ceremony on the fourth anniversary of his assassination.

The explosions occurred nearly 15 minutes apart, according to Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The first blast occurred nearly 700 meters away from Soleimani’s shrine while the second happened about a kilometer away from the shrine, reported Iranian stated media (IRNA).

Rahman Jalali, Kerman governor’s security deputy, labelled the incident as a “terrorist attack.”

Tasnim reported that at least 73 people were killed and 171 others were injured, as of the writing of this piece. The death toll is expected to climb, as Iranian media continues to report rapidly increasing numbers.

Tens were injured in a stampede as people panicked after the blasts.

Soleimani, head of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the IRGC, was killed in a US airstrike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020, alongside Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

The strike was ordered by former US President Donald Trump in response to the constant attacks by IRGC-allied groups on the US embassy in Baghdad and military bases housing coalition and US forces across the country. (Foreign Agencies)

Iraq’s judiciary issued an arrest warrant for Trump in 2022 for ordering the assassination of Soleimani and Muhandis.

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