The Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, described the "terrorist attacks" as "heinous" as soon as they occurred, following the twin attack that rocked Iran on the fourth anniversary of the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani on Wednesday, January 3. Particularly, in the twin explosions near Soleimani's grave, at least 103 people have died and 140 more have been injured. In addition to expressing outrage over the tragedy, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has cordial ties with Iran, met with his Iranian counterpart Raisi during the first week of December 2023. In a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Raisi, he expressed his sympathies and stated, "The killing of peaceful people visiting the cemetery is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism."
Social media users quickly spread the video of the incident, which was the bloodiest in Iran since the revolution that led to the creation of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Crowds were seen rushing away from the scene of the tragedy in order to find their own safety. Following the attack, Iranian security forces blocked off the area as images from Iran's state TV began to surface, showing people lying on the ground and covered in blood.
The purpose of the rescue workers and ambulances on the scene is to alleviate the impact of this cowardly criminal act. More officials have not yet responded to the horrific event that claimed the lives of more than a hundred people during a procession close to the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in Kerman, in the southern region.
The UN Secretary General António Guterres harshly denounced the incident and offered his "deep condolences to the bereaved families, the people, and the government" of Iran.
