Explosions in Iran have killed more than 100 people
In the statement published this Wednesday, Itamaraty expresses his condolences to the families of the victims and his solidarity with the Iranian people and the government.
“Brazil reiterates its firm rejection of any acts of terrorism,” reads an excerpt from the Brazilian government’s statement.
Explosions kill crowd in Iran during procession to grave of USkilled general
According to local authorities, the group affected by the attacks is commemorating the four years since the death of Soleimani, the former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and one of the most influential people in the country, when he died on January 3, 2020.
The Iranian government called the explosion a “terrorist attack” and said it was a suicide attack carried out by people in the crowd. As of the last update to this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
The local press said the explosions occurred on a road on the way to the cemetery where Soleimani's body is buried in the city of Kerman in the country's central region.
The first explosion occurred about 700 meters from the Iranian general's grave, according to Kerman emergency services. People at the scene reported on social media that hundreds of bodies were scattered.
According to local authorities, the second explosion occurred a few minutes later at a more distant point and close to the first emergency services that had already arrived.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, did not name any culprits but said the attack was carried out by “evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation.”
Soleimani's funeral brings riots and dozens of deaths
He was killed by a drone strike on the international airport in Baghdad, Iraq, where Soleimani was staying accompanied by a delegation in a covert operation ordered by thenPresident of the United States Donald Trump.
At the time, the Pentagon, which commanded the attack, claimed that Soleimani was behind the deaths of US soldiers in the Middle East and was planning future Iranian attacks.
Shortly after the attack, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed revenge and said he would “double the resistance” against the US and Israel.
Since then, the Iranian government has increased support and funding for groups that act against Israel, such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
When he died, Soleimani had led the Quds Force, the special forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, for 15 years and was considered the mastermind behind the country's military and geopolitical strategy.