Reactions Continue to Kerman Explosions; Users: 'From Cinema Rex Until Now, Clerics Are Responsible for Massacres'

Reactions to the deadly explosions on Wednesday during the government ceremony commemorating the death of Qassem Soleimani in Kerman continue, with fingers pointing at the Islamic Republic. Some users have noted the absence of Qassem Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders at the anniversary ceremony 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 ceremony in Tehran?' Moloud Hajizadeh, a journalist, referred to claims made in the 'Iran Cyber Channel' attributing the Kerman explosions to Israel based on what has been called the 'confessions' of arrested individuals, emphasizing: 'They have prepared the scenario in advance. I recall 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 part of the Iranian people, given the background of the Islamic Republic, hold the government responsible for the bombing. This shows how the Iranian people view the Islamic Republic.' According to him, 'The Kerman bombing and the people's reaction to it indicate the bankruptcy of the Islamic Republic in all aspects.' Mehrdad Mohammadi, an activist in Iran, emphasized: 'From Cinema Rex until now, the clerics have been responsible and the executors of these kinds of massacres. Until proven otherwise, that remains the case.' Amin Sabati, a network security expert, also stated: 'One must never forget that the clerics set Cinema Rex on fire to come to power... they are still making the same mistakes.' He also referred to the 'bombing at Imam Reza's shrine,' adding: 'The cleric is the godfather of Hamas and knows 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 downing of the Ukrainian plane to the U.S. until the IRGC was forced to accept responsibility. So they either sympathize with the Islamic Republic or do not 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 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 were discussed 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 Islamist attacks (both Shia and Sunni) that are characterized by maximum casualties, lack military value, and target civilians.' He referred to the 'Shia' nature of these events, including the burning of Cinema Rex, and the activities of 'Islamist and Marxist groups during the Shah's time,' noting 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 that the absence of Soleimani's family and IRGC commanders at this ceremony 'raises the question of whether they were aware.' He stated that regardless of which group carried out the Kerman attack, 'the responsibility lies with the Islamic Republic,' as it is the 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 suspects. All evidence and indications suggest it is unlikely to be the work of Israel. But it certainly cannot be the work of the Islamic Republic 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,' referring to the behavior of the Islamic Republic 'from Cinema Rex to the Shahcheragh attack,' stating to Voice of America: 'There is no doubt that this was a terrorist attack.' He stressed that people cannot believe that the incident on Wednesday in Kerman was not the work of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, the Iranian Minister of Interior called the explosions at the Qassem Soleimani anniversary ceremony in Kerman 'the work of the enemy' and promised a 'strong blow' to the perpetrators of this incident, attributing it to 'enemies' and claiming that this action was 'due to the blow they received from the resistance axis.' Additionally, Mojtaba Zolnouri, 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 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.' 'Enemy' is one of the keywords that Islamic Republic officials use to refer to 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 say that the Islamic Republic is likely involved in these explosions. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, head 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 issues like improper hijab and dissent instead of ensuring security.' He warned about the increase in executions and crackdowns, saying: 'I am concerned that the government, as in the past, will use this terrorist act as a pretext to increase executions and suppress citizens.' Ladan Bazargan, a rights activist, rejected the claims of Islamic Republic officials, stating: 'Over the past forty years, Israeli attacks have always been targeted and aimed at eliminating key figures of the regime.' Reminding the Cinema Rex incident and the deaths of hundreds due to the cinema fire, she emphasized: 'Bombing a cemetery and killing people can only be attributed to the infamous Islamic regime.' Hossein Aghaei, an international relations and strategic affairs researcher, wrote on social media platform X: 'The Islamic Republic is fully aware of the danger of becoming active 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 prevent entering 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 downing 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 among those arrested in the so-called 'nuclear scientist assassination' case, attributed the Kerman explosion to the Islamic Republic, adding: 'They have done the same things since the day they were established: terrorism, bombings, and killing people, especially Iranian children.' Ali Karimi, a sports figure opposing the Islamic Republic, attributed these explosions to the government and used the hashtag 'hard revenge on the people,' writing on social media platform X: 'You go for sacrificial food and drinks, but hard revenge is what you get.' Behzad Mehrani, an analyst on Iranian issues, also referred to Qassem Soleimani as 'Qassem the murderer,' stating that 'his living and dead self commits crimes' and 'has nothing but misery for the people of Iran.' He pointed to 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 1500 people in two days and did not hang a single person.' Mohsen Khorram, one of the users on X, referred to the threats against people by Basij forces during the nationwide protests of 2022, sharing an excerpt from the newspaper Etemad that recalled a statement by a Basij member in Ekbatan who said: 'I swear! 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? The Imam was a killer.' Ruhollah Khomeini had said on August 18, 1981: 'If Iraq uses a group of innocent Muslims as a shield, it is our duty to kill both the Muslims and non-Muslims. The Muslims are martyrs and go to heaven, and the non-Muslims are non-believers and go to hell.' Behnam Gholipour, a journalist, also rejected the hypothesis of attributing the Kerman explosions to Israel, stating: 'Israel strikes precisely and purposefully without harming or intending to harm the people of Iran. Two indiscriminate explosions at the Soleimani ceremony in Kerman do not fit Israel's profile.' He also emphasized: 'This incident is a similar scheme to Shahcheragh to deceive and provoke public opinion by the clerical regime.' Ehsan Badaghi, a journalist, also noted: 'After the Cinema Rex fire, this is the highest casualty from a terrorist incident in Iran.' Some users have also pointed out the hollowness of slogans about the country's security. Shahrzad Beheshtian, a composer and musician, using the hashtag 'Kerman,' sarcastically asked: '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 the Islamic Republic officials, including the Minister of Interior and 'the security overseers of the country,' 'inept' who have made 'the security and lives' of Iranians 'a tool for hollow political slogans.' Ali Barnaei, a journalist, published an image of one of the children killed in the Kerman explosions and used the hashtag 'Instead, do we have security,' writing: 'The blood of this innocent child is on the hands of all those who have used the country's security resources to identify and arrest women and girls for improper hijab instead of confronting terrorists.' 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 of the United Nations, stated in a released statement that the Secretary-General expressed condolences and called for 'accountability' for the perpetrators. Previously, Nabila Massrali, a spokesperson for the European Union's foreign policy apparatus, reacted to the bombing in Kerman by issuing a statement expressing solidarity with the people of Iran, calling it a 'terrorist act.' She wrote: 'The European Union strongly condemns today's bombing in Kerman, Iran.' Massrali continued: 'The European Union expresses its solidarity with the people of Iran. The civilian casualties and injuries from this shocking terrorist act are deeply concerning. Our hearts are now with the victims and their families.' On the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's death, while over 100 attendees, including at least six children, were killed during the explosions at the government ceremony in Kerman, images received by Voice of America show that some citizens opposed to the Islamic Republic...