Iranian Supreme Leader Press Office/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike in January 2020.
CNN –
At least 73 people were killed and 170 injured in the Iranian city of Kerman on Wednesday after two explosions near the gravesite of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani in what officials described as a terrorist attack, state media said.
The first explosion occurred 700 meters from Soleimani's grave, the second one kilometer (0.6 miles) away, as pilgrims were visiting the site, IRNA added.
Soleimani was killed four years ago on Wednesday in a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad International Airport ordered by former President Donald Trump.
IRNA quoted the deputy governor for politics and security as saying it was unclear whether the “incident was caused by a gas explosion or a terrorist attack.”
Videos published in Iranian state media showed large crowds milling around the area after the explosion.
Iran Press via AFPTV
Ambulances leave the scene of the explosion.
Soleimani, once one of Iran's most powerful men, was head of the Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force, an elite unit in charge of Iran's foreign operations and designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
The Pentagon says Soleimani and his forces are “responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition soldiers and the wounding of thousands more.”
Soleimani, known as Iran's “shadow commander” who had led the Quds Force since 1998, was the mastermind of Iran's military operations in Iraq and Syria.
The explosion came amid rising tensions in the region as Israel wages a three-month war against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the militant group's attack on Israel on October 7.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave, this war in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 people and led to skirmishes outside Israel and Gaza, often involving Iran-backed militias.
On Tuesday, a senior Hamas leader was killed in a Beirut suburb in an explosion that a US official told CNN was carried out by Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but Hamas and the militant group Hezbollah, which controls the suburb, blamed Israel and vowed revenge.
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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah will give a speech on Wednesday, his third since the outbreak of war. The speech was announced before the attack in Beirut.
Last week, Iran and several of its armed proxies accused Israel of assassinating a senior Iranian commander in Syria and vowed retaliation. Israel did not comment on the matter.
Israel accuses Tehran of financing and arming Hamas. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last month that his country was in a “multi-arena war” and was under attack from seven arenas, including from Iran. “We have already responded and acted on six of these decrees,” he said.
The USA has also recently increased its military involvement in the Middle East. Last month, the military carried out airstrikes on the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah and “affiliated groups” in Iraq after an attack injured three U.S. soldiers.
And last week, U.S. helicopters sank three Iranian-backed Houthi rebel boats in the Red Sea after they came under fire, killing the people on board. The event marked the first time the U.S. killed members of the rebel group since tensions erupted early last year.
The White House said it was not seeking a major conflict. In retaliation for Israel's attack on Hamas, the Houthis have carried out several attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, disrupting trade in one of the world's most important waterways.