Twin blasts in southern Iran kill 84, authorities confirm

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian authorities revised the death toll from twin blasts that occurred in the country’s south on Wednesday, confirming that 84 people lost their lives during the commemoration of Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani.

The explosions took place in the city of Kerman, where a crowd had gathered to remember the general who was killed in a 2020 U.S. strike in Baghdad.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, quoted by Tehran’s official news agency IRNA, stated, “According to forensic statistics, the number of martyrs from this incident has been announced as 84 so far.”

This revised figure was corroborated by Jafar Miadfar, the head of Iran’s emergency services, who explained that the initial count of 95 fatalities was due to bodies being dismembered and counted multiple times.

Miadfar added that 284 people were injured in what Iranian authorities labeled a “terrorist attack,” with 195 individuals still hospitalized.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombings.

Tehran official Mohammad Jamshidi blamed Israel and the United States for the attack, asserting, “The responsibility for this crime lies with the US and Zionist (Israeli) regimes, and terrorism is just a tool.”

While Washington has rejected accusations of involvement, Tehran consistently accuses the U.S. and Israel of instigating unrest in the country.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held “evil and criminal enemies” responsible for the attack, vowing a “harsh response.”

Condolences poured in from neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, as well as from the European Union and Russia.

The bombings marked Iran’s deadliest incident since the 1978 arson attack in Abadan, which killed at least 377 people at the Cinema Rex.