ISIS has announced that they are responsible for the twin blasts that occurred near the burial site of the late military commander Qasem Soleimani in southern Iran.
According to the state-run news agency IRNA, the blasts on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of at least 84 people and left 284 others injured, marking the deadliest attack in Iran since the country's 1979 revolution.
ISIS released a statement on Thursday, more than 24 hours after the explosions, alleging that two suicide bombers had detonated their explosive vests as Shiite mourners gathered for the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's assassination near his grave in Kerman, his hometown. The group did not provide further evidence, and their version of the events contradicts the information given by Iranian media and officials.
The interior minister of Iran reported that two explosions occurred closely together, with the second, more deadly blast occurring as bystanders rushed to assist the injured. According to IRINN, a state media outlet, the initial explosion was the result of a bomb placed in a suitcase inside a car and seemed to have been triggered remotely rather than by a suicide bomber.
The videos depicted a mass exodus of people fleeing the area after the explosions, as well as scenes of bloodied bodies and ambulances maneuvering through the congested crowds. Following the tragedy, Iran announced a day of mourning on Thursday and President Ebhrahim Raisi called off a planned visit to Turkey.
Accusations were made in the period between the explosions and ISIS statement. Iran's President, Ebhrahim Raisi, accused Israel of the explosions and cautioned that it would face severe consequences. The Israeli military declined to comment on the issue. Before ISIS made a statement, analysts and a US official had suggested that the blasts showed signs of a terrorist attack.
"We believe it resembles a terrorist attack, similar to what ISIS has done before. For now, that's our working assumption," stated the official.
This story is still developing and will be continuously updated.