ISIS claims responsibility for deadliest attack in Iran since 1979 revolution

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ISIS has asserted responsibility for the devastating twin blasts near the burial site of Qasem Soleimani in southern Iran. The state-run news agency IRNA reported a grim toll, with at least 84 people killed and 284 injured in the deadliest attack on Iranian soil since the 1979 revolution.

ISIS’s media wing, Al-Furqan, released a statement more than 24 hours after the explosions, attributing the attack to two suicide bombers, identified as brothers. The bombers reportedly detonated their explosive vests amid Shiite mourners commemorating the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination in Kerman.

Titled “And Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the ISIS statement named the attackers and claimed they targeted a gathering of “polytheists” near Soleimani’s grave. Notably, the death toll provided by ISIS differed significantly from Iranian officials’ reports.

While Iran did not immediately respond to ISIS’s claim, both IRNA and Press TV reported on the terrorist organization’s assertion. The conflicting accounts between ISIS and Iranian media raise questions about the authenticity of the claims.

Videos capturing the aftermath revealed chaos, with people fleeing the area, bloodied bodies on the ground, and ambulances navigating through the packed crowds. Iran declared a day of mourning, with President Ebhrahim Raisi canceling a scheduled trip to Turkey.

Amidst accusations, President Raisi initially blamed Israel for the explosions, threatening a “heavy price.” However, Israel’s military declined to comment on the matter. Analysts and a US official, prior to ISIS’s statement, had suggested that the incident bore the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.

Soleimani, a key figure in Iran, was assassinated by a US airstrike on January 3, 2020, ordered by former President Donald Trump. As the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, he played a significant role in Iranian military operations in Iraq and Syria. The unfolding situation prompts heightened tensions and a search for clarity amid the conflicting narratives surrounding this tragic event.

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