Two explosions at Kerman ceremony marking anniversary of killing of Qassem Suleimani raise Middle East tensions further

More than 95 Iranians were killed and scores more injured in a terrorist attack at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate the assassination of a top general, further heightening tensions in the increasingly volatile Middle East.

The explosions came at a memorial ceremony in Iran marking the fourth anniversary of the killing of Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s al-Quds force, and it was not clear whether either of Suleimani’s principal regional adversaries – Israel or Islamic State – were responsible for the carnage.

Iran’s new minister of interior, the hardliner Ahmad Vahidi, did not immediately attribute blame for the attack and no side claimed responsibility for the deadliest single terrorist incident since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The US state department said it had no reason to believe Israel was involved.

An early death toll of 103 was revised down, but Iran’s health minister, Bahram Einollahi, said many of the wounded were in critical condition and the toll could rise.

  • DeadHorseX@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    60
    arrow-down
    9
    ·
    10 months ago

    There’s no evidence this was Israel. Iran has plenty of enemies in the Middle East.

    • steventhedev@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      arrow-down
      18
      ·
      10 months ago

      I’m going to go a step further and say that the vast majority of Israelis would not agree to attacking civilians in general, and certainly not like this. This is a pretty clear attempt to “poke the bear” which is never a good idea. Even the most hawkish Israelis wouldn’t want to preemptively open another front in an already complex war.

      • Squizzy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        12
        arrow-down
        8
        ·
        10 months ago

        The vast majority of Israelis support the expansion of Israel which kills civiliansalso the vast majority of Israel doesn’t run Israel so it doesn’t matter.