The bloodiest attack in Iran in the last 42 years. The massacre that took place in Kerman yesterday, Wednesday, January 3, caused at least 95 deaths and hundreds of injuries, at least according to the latest estimates of Iranian officials. As thousands of people gathered to commemorate the death of General Soleimani, the former commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force who was killed in a US strike in 2020, two bombs were placed a short distance from each other near the cemetery.
Who blew them up? And why? Iran more or less implicitly turns its back on the United States and Israel, but the list of the regime’s enemies is long; It starts with Sunni jihadist groups like ISIS, which Soleimani himself defeated.
Explosion in Kerman, Iran
Tehran’s Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi said Iran’s response would be “strong and overwhelming” and would happen “as soon as possible.” “The United States is not involved in the explosion in Iran, and we have no reason to think Israel is either,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Tehran’s response did not take long to arrive. “Washington says that the USA had no role in the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Israel had no role in the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Completely? The fox smells its own den first. Do not make any mistakes. Mohammad, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs Jamshidi wrote in X: Responsibility for this crime belongs to the USA and the Zionist regimes, and terrorism is only a tool.
However, according to New York Times sources, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is trying to avoid escalating military tensions with the USA and Israel, despite the rhetoric. The US newspaper writes that Iran’s Supreme Leader instead ordered his military leaders to show “strategic patience”, citing two people “familiar with Iran’s internal debates”.
NYT also states that although Iranian intelligence did not show Israel’s involvement in the massacre near the tomb of General Qasem Soleimani yesterday, Tehran leaders decided to publicly hold Israel responsible for the attack, regardless of the evidence. However, the regime’s line will be to minimize the reaction to the operations allegedly carried out by Israel within the Islamic Republic.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
