On Wednesday, two bombs detonated during a commemoration event in Kerman, located about 820 kilometers southeast of Tehran, resulting in the death of at least 95 people.

The event was held to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, who was slain in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in 2020.

The explosions, minutes apart, wounded at least 211 people, and no group has claimed responsibility for what appears to be the deadliest militant attack in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian officials have vowed to punish those responsible for the blasts. The death toll was initially reported as 103 but was revised lower due to repeated names on the list of victims, the Associated Press reported.

Many of the wounded are in critical condition, and the death toll may rise. The attacks occurred near General Soleimani’s grave site, where a large crowd had gathered for the commemorative event.

The incident adds to the tensions in the Middle East, already heightened by Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Written by B.C. Begley

🚨The death toll from the two explosions near Hajj Qassem Soleimani's grave in Iran has risen to 73, with 173 reported as wounded. The incident, considered a terrorist attack, occurred on the fourth anniversary of Hajj Qassem's martyrdom. The explosions resulted from two… pic.twitter.com/H4Zi36L4Um

— In Context (@incontextmedia) January 3, 2024

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