Death Toll from Kerman Explosions Rises to 89; Islamic Republic Claims Arrest of Some Perpetrators

Two days after the deadly explosions in Kerman on the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's death, the Islamic Republic announced the arrest of some individuals involved in the blasts. Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's Minister of Interior, claimed on Friday, January 5, that intelligence systems had found 'good leads' and that some of those involved had been arrested, with security agencies promising to provide further information later. Ibrahim Raisi also visited Kerman and described 'revenge' as the least price that, according to him, 'the enemy will pay for the terrorist crime in Kerman.' Iranian officials typically refer to the U.S., Israel, and Western countries as 'the enemy.' Meanwhile, Babak Yektapars, head of Iran's Emergency Organization, announced the latest death toll from the Kerman explosions as 89, stating that one of the deceased was a 'suicide bomber.' Previously, Ahmad Vahidi had reported that among the 88 killed in the Kerman explosions, 54 were women and 34 were men, including 12 Afghan citizens and 40 children under 18 years old. The state-run news agency IRNA reported that 284 people were injured, with 137 receiving treatment in hospitals. Concurrently, Mohammad Mohammadi Azad, the Attorney General of the Islamic Republic, ordered action against the dissemination of 'content contrary' to the Islamic Republic's narrative regarding the Kerman explosions on social media. Reports indicate that government forces have arrested a medical student from Yazd for this reason. Some social media users have accused the Islamic Republic of being the main culprit behind the deadly explosions during the government ceremony commemorating Qassem Soleimani in Kerman. Some users, supporting this accusation, pointed to the absence of Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders at the anniversary event in Kerman. The deadly explosions in Kerman on Wednesday have drawn international reactions, with the UN Security Council and the European Union condemning the blasts, and the U.S. expressing condolences to the victims' families, calling the incident 'horrific.' The Islamic State group (ISIS) issued a statement on Thursday, January 4, through Telegram channels affiliated with the group, claiming that two ISIS members detonated 'explosive belts' among the crowd gathered for Soleimani's anniversary at the Kerman cemetery. Iranian officials had previously labeled 'terrorists' as responsible for the explosions and promised to take revenge. Reactions from social media users in recent days have varied. Mahmoud Amani, a user on the social media platform X, wrote: 'According to their own statements, they were prepared in advance and evacuated hospitals to treat the injured, but why were Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders holding a memorial in Tehran?' Journalist Moloud Hajizadeh referred to claims made in the 'Iran Cyber Channel' attributing the Kerman explosions to Israel based on what was termed the 'confessions' of the arrested individuals, emphasizing: 'They have prepared the scenario in advance. It reminds me of their so-called terrorist attack last year in Shahcheragh.' Political activist Saeed Bashirtash rejected the theory of Israeli involvement or 'separatist terrorist groups' in the explosions, stating: 'A large portion of the Iranian people, given the history of the Islamic Republic, hold the government responsible for the bombing. This indicates how the Iranian people view the Islamic Republic.' He added, 'The Kerman bombing and the public's reaction to it reflect the Islamic Republic's bankruptcy in all dimensions.' Mehrdad Mohammadi, an activist in Iran, emphasized: 'From Cinema Rex to now, the responsibility and executor of such massacres has been the clerics. Until proven otherwise, it remains the same.' Amin Sabati, a network security expert, also stated: 'One should never forget that the clerics set Cinema Rex on fire to gain power... They are doing exactly the same things now.' He also referenced the 'bombing at Imam Reza's shrine,' adding: 'The clerics are the godfathers of Hamas and know exactly how to play the victim.' Analyst Arash Joudaki pointed to the IRGC's shooting down of the Ukrainian plane, stating: 'Most of those who today align with the Islamic Republic in linking the Kerman bombing to Israel also attributed the Ukrainian plane crash, until the IRGC was forced to accept responsibility, to the U.S. as part of the Islamic Republic's agenda. So either they have sympathy for the Islamic Republic or they do not understand it.' Journalist Masoud Kazemi referred to Qassem Soleimani's role in the killings of people before and after his death, stating: 'Qassem Soleimani killed thousands of people in the region, was involved in the repression and killing of the Iranian people, and on the day of his burial, at least 71 citizens were killed. For his revenge, his colleagues in the IRGC killed 176 innocent passengers of the Ukrainian plane. Now, on the anniversary of his death, they have killed dozens more.' Experts' perspectives on the Kerman explosions in an interview with Voice of America. Saeed Ghasemi-Nejad, a senior researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, emphasized that the objectives of Israeli operations in Iran 'have high military and nuclear value,' stating that the Kerman explosions 'exhibit all the signs of jihadist Islamist attacks (both Shia and Sunni) that aim for maximum casualties, lack military value, and target civilians.' He noted the 'Shia' aspects of these events, including the burning of Cinema Rex, and the activities of 'Islamist and Marxist groups during the Shah's time,' stating that 'Sunni groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda have also conducted such attacks,' and 'the Islamic Republic has historically engaged in these actions even when in power.' Ghasemi-Nejad also mentioned that the absence of Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders at the event raises the question of whether they were aware of it. According to Ghasemi-Nejad, regardless of which group carried out the Kerman attack, 'the responsibility lies with the Islamic Republic,' as it is a government that 'cannot ensure security within its own borders in major cities.' However, Sadegh Zibakalam, a political science professor, told Voice of America: 'I don't think pointing the finger at the Islamic Republic holds much value or credibility.' He added: 'I believe Islamist groups like ISIS are more likely to be implicated. All evidence suggests it is unlikely to be Israel's doing. But it certainly cannot be the Islamic Republic's work either.' On the other hand, Hossein Aghaei, an international relations and strategic affairs researcher, emphasized that the Kerman explosions 'cannot be the work of a foreign country,' referencing the Islamic Republic's behavior 'from Cinema Rex to the Shah Cheragh attack,' and told Voice of America: 'There is no doubt that this was a terrorist attack.' He stressed that the people cannot believe that the Wednesday incident in Kerman was not the work of the Islamic Republic. Michael Pregent, a senior Middle East expert at the Hudson Institute, commented on the Kerman explosions to Voice of America: 'Tehran knows very well that the Kerman incident has nothing to do with Israel; it may be the work of the Mojahedin.' Meanwhile, human rights activist Pouran Nazemi told the Persian section of Voice of America: 'All institutions of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for the massacre of defenseless people in Kerman.' In contrast, while the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic labeled the explosions at Soleimani's anniversary ceremony in Kerman as 'the work of the enemy' and promised a 'strong blow' to the perpetrators, some observers suggest that these explosions 'are their own doing.' During the series of 'massive' explosions at the government ceremony commemorating Qassem Soleimani in Kerman on Wednesday, January 4, at least 103 people have been reported dead and 141 injured, with some of the injured in critical condition. Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic, stated in a television program that 'everything is under control' and announced that the Islamic Republic will deliver a 'strong blow' to the perpetrators of these explosions. He attributed the act to 'the enemies' and claimed that it was 'in retaliation for the blow they received from the resistance axis.' Additionally, Mojtaba Zolnouri, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated that 'I have no information or news that this operation was the work of Israel,' adding that 'the nature of the operation clearly indicates that it is their work.' According to the website 'Iran Watch,' Zolnouri threatened that 'we will punish and inflict a regretful retribution on Israel that will have global operational value.' 'The enemy' is a keyword that Iranian officials use to refer to the U.S., Israel, and Western countries. Many users' reactions on social media differ from the statements of the Minister of Interior, and some observers suggest that the Islamic Republic may be involved in these explosions. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights Organization, condemned the attack, stating that the people of Kerman have once again 'become victims of terrorism,' and said: 'The people of Iran are victims of an ineffective and corrupt government whose so-called security forces spend their resources on suppressing citizens for improper hijab and dissent instead of ensuring security.' He warned about an increase in executions and crackdowns, saying: 'I fear that the government will, as in the past, use this terrorist act as a pretext to escalate executions and repression of citizens.' Ladan Bazargan, a human rights activist, rejected the claims of Iranian officials, stating: 'In the past forty years, Israeli attacks have always been targeted and aimed at eliminating key figures of the regime.' Reminding the incident at Cinema Rex in Abadan, where hundreds were killed in a cinema fire, she emphasized: 'Bombing a cemetery and killing people can only be attributed to the vile Islamic regime.' Hossein Aghaei, an international relations and strategic affairs researcher, wrote on social media X: 'The Islamic Republic is fully aware of the danger of being activated and entering the chain of reaction. Therefore, it tries to preemptively sabotage and neutralize it by committing deliberate killings and then blaming Israel, thinking it can avert the chain of reaction.' Kamran Behzadi, a political activist, also held the Islamic Republic responsible for the Kerman explosions, emphasizing: 'Just as they took revenge for Qassem Soleimani by shooting down the Ukrainian plane, they took revenge for Seyyed Razi in Kerman by killing their own supporters.' Maziar Ebrahimi, spokesman for the 'Patriotic Kurds of Iran' party, also stated: 'The Islamic Republic took a hard revenge for Qassem Soleimani from the people of Iran on the anniversary of the child killer's death.' This political activist, who was also among those arrested in the so-called 'nuclear scientist assassination' case, attributed the Kerman explosions to the Islamic Republic, adding: 'They have always engaged in actions of terror, bombing, and killing people, especially Iranian children.' Ali Karimi, a sports figure opposing the Islamic Republic, attributed these explosions to the government, using the hashtag 'hard revenge on the people' on social media X, stating: 'You go for food and drinks for the charity, but hard revenge is your fate.' Behzad Mehrani, an analyst on Iranian issues, also referred to Qassem Soleimani as 'Qassem the murderer' who 'commits crimes both alive and dead' and 'has nothing but misery for the people of Iran.' He noted previous instances of killings of citizens by the Islamic Republic, adding: 'The perpetrators of the massacre of people in Kerman are the same ones who set Cinema Rex in Abadan on fire; the same ones who blew up the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam; the same ones who killed 1500 people in two days and did not take responsibility for a single one.' Mohsen Khorram, a user on X, referenced threats against people by Basij forces during the nationwide protests of 2022, sharing a clipping from the newspaper Etela'at that recalled statements made by a Basij member in Ekbatan who said: 'I swear! If it comes to it, we will take our own women and children to preserve the regime.' Babi Afrouz, a civil activist opposing the Islamic Republic, also re-shared statements by Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, writing: 'Who ordered the killing of people in Kerman? The Imam was a killer.' Ruhollah Khomeini stated on August 18, 1981: 'If Iraq used a group of innocent Muslims as a shield, it is our duty to kill both the Muslim and the non-Muslim. The Muslims are martyrs and go to heaven, while the infidels go to hell.' Behnam Gholipour, a journalist, also rejected the hypothesis of linking the Kerman explosions to Israel, stating: 'Israel is precise and targeted.'