Reports from Iranian state media indicate that at least 73 individuals lost their lives in two explosions near the tomb of Iranian Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his assassination.
According to AP, an additional 170 people sustained injuries during the blasts that occurred during a ceremony near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in the city of Kerman. The chief of emergency services in Kerman province attributed the explosions to bombs.
According to statements from Kerman's deputy governor as reported by local media, the incident has been described as a "terrorist attack."
A video circulating online seems to depict several lifeless bodies on the ground.
(TW: Visuals could be disturbing for some individuals)
On Wednesday, hundreds of individuals were reportedly heading towards the tomb as part of a ceremony commemorating Gen Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in neighboring Iraq in 2020.
Regarded as the most influential figure in Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Soleimani served as the commander of the Revolutionary Guards' overseas operations arm, the Quds Force. He played a pivotal role in shaping Iranian policy across the region, overseeing clandestine missions and providing guidance, funding, weapons, intelligence, and logistical support to allied governments and armed groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
The 2020 assassination, ordered by then-US President Donald Trump, led to Soleimani being described as "the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world."
