Reactions to the Kerman Explosions; Users: 'It's the Government's Doing'

The deadly explosions on Wednesday during a government ceremony commemorating the death of Qassem Soleimani in Kerman have sparked widespread reactions on social media. While the Iranian Minister of Interior described 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 claim that these explosions are 'their own doing.' During several 'massive' explosions at the government ceremony for Qassem Soleimani on Wednesday, at least 103 people have been killed and 141 injured, with some injuries reported as critical. Ahmad Vahidi, the Iranian Minister of Interior, stated in a television program that 'everything is under control' and announced that the Islamic Republic would deliver a 'strong blow' to the perpetrators of these explosions. He attributed this act to 'enemies' and claimed that it was 'because of the blow they received from the resistance axis.' Additionally, Mojtaba Zolnour, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated that 'I have no information or news that this operation is the work of Israel,' but added that 'the nature of the operation indicates that it is their work.' According to the 'Iran Watch' website, Zolnour threatened that 'we will punish and hold Israel accountable with a revenge that will have global operational value.' 'Enemy' is one of the keywords that Iranian officials use to address the United States, 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, 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 am worried that the government will increase executions and suppression of citizens under the pretext of this terrorist act, as it has done in the past.' 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 the Rex Cinema in Abadan, where hundreds were killed in a cinema fire, she emphasized: 'Bombing a cemetery and killing people can only be attributed to the accursed Islamic regime.' Hossein Aghaei, an international relations and strategic affairs researcher, wrote on social media that 'the Islamic Republic is fully aware of the danger of becoming active and entering the chain of reactions. Therefore, it tries to preemptively sabotage and neutralize it by committing intentional killings and then blaming Israel, thinking it can avoid 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 shooting down the Ukrainian plane, they took revenge for Seyyed Reza in Kerman by killing their own supporters.' Maziar Ebrahimi, spokesman for the 'Patriotic Kurdish Iranians' party, 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 case known as 'the assassination of nuclear scientists,' attributed the Kerman explosion to the Islamic Republic, adding: 'The same actions they have been carrying out since their inception: assassination, bombing, 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: 'You go for sacrificial food and drinks, but hard revenge is what you get.' Behzad Mehrani, an analyst on Iranian issues, referred to Qassem Soleimani as 'Qassem the murderer' who 'commits crimes alive and dead' and 'has nothing but misery for the people of Iran.' He pointed out previous instances of killings of citizens by the Islamic Republic, adding: 'The perpetrators of the killings in Kerman are the same ones who set the Rex Cinema in Abadan on fire; the same ones who exploded the Imam Reza shrine; the same ones who killed 1,500 people in two days and did not execute a single person.' Mohsen Khorram, one of the users on social media, referred to the threats against people by Basij forces during the nationwide protests of 2022, sharing a clip from the newspaper Etelaat, recalling statements made by a Basij member in the Ekbatan neighborhood who said: 'I swear! If it comes to it, I will take my own wife and children for the sake of preserving the regime.' Babi Afrouz, a civil activist opposing the Islamic Republic, also reposted statements from Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, writing: '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 its Muslims and non-Muslims. Its Muslims are martyrs and go to heaven, its non-Muslims are non-believers and go to hell.' Behnam Gholipour, a journalist, also rejected the hypothesis attributing the Kerman explosions to Israel, stating: 'Israel strikes accurately and purposefully, without harming or intending to harm the people of Iran. Two blind explosions at the Soleimani ceremony in Kerman do not fit Israel.' He also emphasized: 'This incident is a similar program to Shah Cheragh to deceive and provoke public opinion by the velayat system.' Ehsan Badaghi, a journalist, also wrote: 'After the Rex Cinema fire, this is the highest casualty from a terrorist incident in Iran.' Some users have also pointed to the emptiness 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, a user on social media, stated that 'one must reach a human rage explosion in such cases,' calling Iranian officials, including the Minister of Interior and 'the guardians of the country's security,' 'incompetent' who have turned 'the security and lives of Iranians into 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 combating 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, added in a statement that the Secretary-General expressed condolences and called for accountability for the perpetrators. Earlier, Nabila Massrali, 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 and calling it a 'terrorist act.' She wrote: 'The European Union strongly condemns today's bombing in Kerman, Iran.' Massrali further stated: '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 in the explosions during the government ceremony in Kerman, images received by VOA show that some citizens opposed to the Islamic Republic have burned images of Qassem Soleimani in various cities in Iran.