ISIS claims responsibility for Iran: The deadliest attack in Iran since its 1979 revolution has now been claimed by ISIS. Twin blasts on Wednesday near the burial site of slain military leader Qasem Soleimani killed at least 84 people and injured 284 more, according to state media.
More than 24 hours after the explosions in Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman, ISIS issued a statement through its media wing Al-Furqan. It said two suicide bombers detonated explosive vests amid a gathering of Shiite mourners at Soleimani’s grave on the fourth anniversary of his assassination.
The statement referred to the mourners as “polytheists” and said the bombers targeted them near the grave of their “dead leader.” ISIS adheres to an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam and views Shiites as heretical. The group has attacked Shiite religious sites in Iran previously.
ISIS offered no evidence backing its claim. Its statement differed from Iranian media accounts and cited a higher death toll. Iran did not immediately respond to the claim of responsibility.
According to Iran’s interior minister, the first blast preceded a deadlier second explosion that came as people rushed to aid victims. State media said the first blast came from a suitcase bomb placed inside a car, possibly detonated remotely rather than by a suicide bomber.
Videos showed crowds fleeing the area in panic amid bodies on the ground. Iran declared a national day of mourning, and its president canceled a planned overseas trip.
ISIS claims responsibility for Iran: In the aftermath, Iranian leaders blamed Israel and vowed retaliation. Israel declined to comment. Analysts had suspected ISIS involvement given the nature of the coordinated attack. A U.S. official also pointed to ISIS hallmarks in the incident prior to the terror group’s claim.
Soleimani was killed by a 2020 U.S. drone strike ordered by then-President Trump. As head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Soleimani oversaw Iran’s overseas military operations. The U.S. had designated him a terrorist threat. His death brought Iran and the U.S. to the brink of war.