The United States said it was highly unlikely Israel was involved, since the explosions resembled a terrorist group’s methods rather than Israel’s.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Posting on Telegram, representatives of the radical Sunni Muslim group Islamic State said two of its members detonated explosive belts near the grave of terror general Qasam Soleimani on the anniversary of his death.
The blasts killed nearly 100 people, wounded 284, and were among the deadliest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The explosions were reported in the city of Kerman, in southeastern Iran, the hometown of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force.
Thousands of Iranians had gathered outside Soleimani’s final resting place Wednesday to mark the fourth anniversary of his death in an American drone strike.
Iran condemned the attacks in the strongest terms and many blamed the United States and Israel for the attacks.
“A very strong retaliation will be meted out to them by the hands of the soldiers of Soleimani,” Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber told reporters.
One reporter said an earlier blast at the cemetery in Kerman, “was the result of a suicide bomber’s action.”
“The cause of the second blast was most likely the same,” the source said.
Although angry crowds chanted, “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” the United States denied responsibility for the attacks and said it was highly unlikely Israel was involved, since the explosions resembled a terrorist group’s methods rather than Israel’s.
The US killed Soleimani in a drone attack at Baghdad airport and Tehran retaliated by attacking two military bases in Iraq that held US troops.
Iran is an ongoing threat to Israel and is funding Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi terrorists who have been firing missiles at Eilat and attacking ships in Israel’s ports since the beginning of the current war.
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