ISIS Claims Responsibility for Deadly Kerman Explosions on Soleimani Anniversary

The ISIS group claimed responsibility for the deadly explosions in Kerman on Wednesday during a memorial ceremony for Qassem Soleimani. The 'Islamic State' (ISIS) stated in a message published on Thursday, January 4, on Telegram channels linked to the group, that two ISIS members detonated their 'explosive belts' among the crowd gathered in Kerman to commemorate Soleimani's death. Iranian officials had previously attributed the explosions to 'terrorists' and vowed to take revenge. Reactions to the deadly explosions during the government ceremony for Soleimani's anniversary in Kerman continue, with fingers pointing at the Islamic Republic. Some users have noted the absence of Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders at the memorial in Kerman. For instance, Mahmoud Amani, a user on social media platform X, wrote: 'According to their own statements, they were prepared in advance and evacuated hospitals to accommodate the injured, but why were Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders holding a memorial in Tehran?' Moloud Hajizadeh, a journalist, referred to claims made in the 'Iran Cyber Channel' linking the Kerman explosions to Israel based on what were described as 'confessions' from detained individuals, emphasizing: 'They had prepared the scenario in advance. It reminds me of their so-called terrorist attack last year in Shahcheragh.' Saeed Bashirtash, a political activist, rejected the theory of Israeli involvement or 'separatist terrorist groups' in these explosions, stating: 'A large portion of the Iranian people, considering the history of the Islamic Republic, hold the government responsible for the bombing. This indicates how the Iranian people view the Islamic Republic.' According to him, 'The Kerman bombing and the public's reaction to it reflect the bankruptcy of the Islamic Republic in all aspects.' Mehrdad Mohammadi, an activist in Iran, emphasized: 'From Cinema Rex until now, the responsible party for such killings 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 come to power... Now they are doing exactly the same mistakes.' 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.' Arash Joudaki, an analyst, noted 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 to the U.S. until the IRGC was forced to accept responsibility for it. So either they have a heart for the Islamic Republic or they don't recognize it.' Masoud Kazemi, a journalist, pointed to Qassem Soleimani's role in the killings of people before and after his death, saying: 'Qassem Soleimani killed thousands of people in the region, was involved in the suppression and killing of the Iranian people, and at least 71 citizens were killed on the day of his burial. For his revenge, his colleagues in the IRGC killed 176 innocent passengers of the Ukrainian plane. Now on his anniversary, they killed dozens again.' Experts' views 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 targets of Israeli operations in Iran 'have high military and nuclear value,' stating that the Kerman explosions 'exhibit all the signs of jihadist (Shia and Sunni) attacks' that have maximum casualties, lack military value, and target non-combatants. 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 carried out such attacks,' and 'the Islamic Republic has historically engaged in these actions even when in power.' Ghasemi-Nejad also mentioned the absence of Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders at the event, raising the question: 'Were they aware?' 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 suspects. All evidence suggests it is unlikely to be Israel's doing. However, 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 Shahcheragh 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 incident on Wednesday in Kerman was not the work of the Islamic Republic. Michael Pregent, a senior Middle East analyst at the Hudson Institute, commented on the Kerman explosions to Voice of America, stating: '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 Voice of America's Persian service: 'All institutions of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for the massacre of defenseless people in Kerman.' Reactions from officials While the Iranian Minister of Interior labeled the explosions at the Soleimani anniversary ceremony in Kerman as 'the work of the enemy' and promised a 'strong blow' to the perpetrators of this incident, some observers say these explosions are 'their own doing.' During several 'massive' explosions at the government ceremony for Soleimani's anniversary in Kerman on Wednesday, January 4, at least 103 people have been killed and 141 injured, with some victims reported to be in critical condition. Ahmad Vahidi, the Iranian Minister of Interior, 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 'enemies' and claimed it was 'because of the blow they received from the axis of resistance.' Additionally, Mojtaba Zolnouri, the deputy speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated that 'I have no information or news that this operation is the work of Israel,' adding that 'the nature of the operation indicates that it is their work.' According to the website 'Iran Watch,' Zolnouri threatened that 'we will punish and make Israel regret with a revenge that will have global operational value.' 'Enemy' is one of the keywords that Iranian officials use to address the U.S., Israel, and Western countries. Many users' reactions on social media differ from the Iranian Minister of Interior's statements, 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 the increase in executions and crackdowns, saying: 'I am worried that the government will increase executions and suppress citizens under the pretext of this terrorist act, as it has in the past.' Ladan Bazargan, a justice-seeking activist, rejected the claims of Iranian officials, stating: 'For the past forty years, Israel's attacks have always been targeted and aimed at eliminating key figures of the regime.' Reminding the Cinema Rex incident in Abadan and the killing of hundreds due to the cinema fire, she emphasized: 'The bombing in the cemetery and killing people can only come from the accursed 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 becoming active and entering a chain of reactions. Therefore, it is trying to preemptively sabotage and neutralize it by committing deliberate killings and then blaming Israel, thinking it can prevent entering the chain of reactions.' 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, spokesperson 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 among those detained in the case known as 'the assassination of nuclear scientists,' attributed the Kerman explosion to the Islamic Republic, adding: 'They have always engaged in actions such as terrorism, bombing, and killing people, especially Iranian children.' Ali Karimi, a sports figure opposing the Islamic Republic, linked these explosions to the government, using the hashtag 'hard revenge on the people' on social media X, stating: 'You go for sacrificial food and drinks, but hard revenge is what you get.' Behnaz 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 the government's killings of citizens, adding: 'The perpetrators of the killings in Kerman are the same ones who set Cinema Rex on fire; the same ones who bombed the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam; the same ones who killed 1,500 people in two days and didn't take responsibility for a single one.' Mohsen Khorram, one of the users on X, referenced threats against people by Basij forces during the nationwide protests of 2022, sharing an excerpt from the newspaper Etelaat that recalled a statement by a Basij member in Ekbatan who said: 'I swear by God! If it comes to it, I will take my own wife and children to preserve the regime.' Babi Afrouz, a civil activist opposing the Islamic Republic, also reposted statements by Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, asking: 'Who ordered the killing of people in Kerman?' Ruhollah Khomeini said on August 18, 1981: 'If Iraq uses a group of innocent Muslims as a shield, it is our duty to kill both Muslims and non-Muslims. The Muslims are martyrs and go to heaven, and the infidels are infidels and go to hell.' Behnam Gholipour, a journalist, also rejected the hypothesis of linking the Kerman explosions to Israel, stating: 'Israel strikes accurately and purposefully without harming or intending to harm the Iranian people. Two blind explosions at Soleimani's ceremony in Kerman do not fit Israel.' He also emphasized: 'This incident is a plan similar to Shahcheragh to deceive and provoke public opinion by the velayat regime.' Ehsan Badaghi, a journalist, also wrote: 'After the Cinema Rex fire, this is the highest casualty from a terrorist incident in Iran.' Some users have also pointed to the hollowness of slogans about the country's security. Shahrzad Beheshtian, a composer and musician, using the hashtag 'Kerman,' sarcastically wrote: 'Instead, do we have security?' Yavar Mashirfar, one of the users on social media X, stated that 'one must reach the explosion of human anger in such cases,' calling Iranian officials, including the Minister of Interior and 'the security overseers of the country,' 'incompetent' who have turned 'the security and lives' of Iranians into 'empty political slogans.' Ali Barnaei, a journalist, published an image of one of the children killed in the Kerman explosions and using the hashtag 'Instead, do we have security,' wrote: 'The blood of this innocent child is on the hands of all those who have used the country's security resources not to confront terrorists but to identify and arrest women and girls for improper hijab.' Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, also strongly condemned the attack on Wednesday in Kerman. Florencia Soto Nino, a spokesperson for the Secretary-General, stated in a released statement that the Secretary-General expressed condolences and called for accountability for those responsible.