Iran vows revenge after biggest attack since 1979 revolution By Reuters

By Parisa Hafezi and Elwely Elwelly

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards and First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber vowed revenge on Thursday for explosions that killed practically 100 individuals at a ceremony to commemorate high commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone in 2020 in Iraq.

“A really sturdy retaliation will probably be handed to them on the fingers of the troopers of Soleimani,” Mokhber instructed reporters at a hospital have been among the wounded have been receiving remedy for the bloodiest assault because the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Nobody claimed accountability for the blasts. A senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration mentioned the blasts appeared to symbolize “a terrorist assault” of the kind carried out prior to now by Islamic State militants.

In an announcement, Iran’s highly effective Guards described Wednesday’s assault as a cowardly act “geared toward creating insecurity and in search of revenge in opposition to the nation’s deep love and devotion to the Islamic Republic”.

The highly effective Guards additionally mentioned the assault “strengthens the resolve to decisively and justly punish the perpetrators.”

The Guards commander within the southeastern metropolis of Kerman denied state media stories of a taking pictures in Kerman on Thursday.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the “heinous and inhumane crime”, and Iran’s high authority, Supreme Chief Ayatollah Khamenei, vowed revenge for the dual bombings.

Iran’s Crimson Crescent rescuers tended to wounded individuals on the ceremony, the place tons of of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Soleimani’s killing. Some Iranian information businesses mentioned the variety of wounded was a lot increased.

EARLIER ATTACKS

Tehran typically accuses its arch enemies, Israel and the USA, of backing anti-Iran militant teams.

In 2022, the Sunni Muslim militant group Islamic State claimed accountability for a lethal assault on a Shi’ite shrine in Iran which killed 15 individuals.

Earlier assaults claimed by the group embrace twin bombings in 2017 which focused Iran’s parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Baluchi militants and ethnic Arab separatists have additionally staged assaults in Iran.

The U.S. assassination of Soleimani in a Jan. 3, 2020, drone assault at Baghdad airport, and Tehran’s retaliation – by attacking two Iraqi army bases that home U.S. troops – introduced the USA and Iran near full-blown battle.

As chief commander of the elite Quds drive, the abroad arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Soleimani ran clandestine operations overseas and was a key determine in Iran’s longstanding marketing campaign to drive U.S. forces from the Center East.

Tensions between Iran and Israel, together with its ally the USA, have reached a brand new excessive over Israel’s warfare on Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza in retaliation for his or her Oct. 7 rampage by means of southern Israel.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia have attacked ships they are saying have hyperlinks to Israel within the entrance to the Crimson Sea, one of many world’s busiest transport lanes.

U.S. forces have come below assault from Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria over Washington’s backing of Israel and have carried out their very own retaliatory air strikes.