At least twenty people were killed and around 60 injured in two explosions at the cemetery in the Iranian city Kerman (middle), where the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the lieutenant general is celebrated Qassem Soleimani.
The cause of the explosions is currently unknown. Thousands of people gathered at the cemetery this Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary of Soleimani, considered a martyr of the revolution in Iran, who died in a US drone strike in Baghdad in 2020. Local media claim that an initial explosion caused numerous casualties, after which another deflagration was recorded in the area, without Iranian authorities commenting on the causes of the incident.
The attack against Soleimani sparked widespread opposition in Iran, whose supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised “severe revenge on the criminals” behind Soleimani’s “martyrdom.” This general was the most powerful military figure in Iran and reported directly to Khamenei. The commander-in-chief died during a US Army surgical operation when he shot from a drone at the car in which Soleimani was traveling.
The late general served as Iran's foreign minister for war affairs. According to the New York Times, his assassination was an option considered by governments Barack Obama and George W Bushwho, however, decided not to do anything to avoid a possible war with Tehran.