U.S. Expresses Sympathy for Victims of 'Horrific' Kerman Explosions; Germany Condemns Terrorist Act

The U.S. State Department described the explosions during the government ceremony marking the fourth anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's death, which resulted in the deaths of over 100 people, as 'horrific' and expressed sympathy for the victims' families. The German government also condemned the 'terrorist operation' in Kerman. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated on Wednesday, January 3, at a press conference: 'We are following the reports, but we do not have independent information to provide about them.' He added, 'We express our condolences to the victims and their loved ones who lost their lives in this horrific explosion. As I said, it is too early for us to say what caused it.' The spokesperson referred to 'some irresponsible claims' made by Iranian officials, stating: 'First, the United States was in no way involved in this matter, and any reference to it is false and ridiculous.' Matthew Miller also emphasized, 'Second, we have no reason to believe that Israel is involved in this matter.' John Kirby, the National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator at the White House, also expressed condolences to 'all innocent victims and their families,' emphasizing that there are still many details about the bombings that are not known. He added, 'We have no information about this and no further details about how it occurred or who might be responsible. I can only tell you that we have no indication of Israeli involvement in this matter.' These statements came after Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's Minister of Interior, attributed the explosion in Kerman to 'enemies' and stated that this act was 'because of the blow they received from the resistance axis,' linking it to Israel. Additionally, Mojtaba Zolnouri, Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated that 'I have no information or news that this operation is the work of Israel,' but noted that 'the nature of the operation indicates that it is their work.' 'Enemy' is a keyword used by Iranian officials to refer to the U.S., Israel, and some Western countries. Meanwhile, the German Foreign Ministry condemned the 'terrorist act' in Kerman on the social media platform 'X,' expressing deep sorrow for the deaths of many children in the explosions. The German Foreign Ministry added: 'We condemn this terrorist act. The people of Iran deserve a future filled with peace and security.' Meanwhile, some observers and analysts, as well as Iranian users on social media, have mentioned previous examples, including the burning of Cinema Rex, the shooting down of the Ukrainian plane, and the killing of unarmed protesters, suggesting that the Kerman explosion was also the work of the Islamic Republic's forces. News agencies in Iran reported on Wednesday afternoon about several 'horrific' explosions at the government ceremony for the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani in Kerman on January 3, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries. According to additional reports by Wednesday evening, the death toll had risen to 103, and the number of injured was reported as 141, with some in critical condition. Mehdi Nakhl Ahmad, a journalist, stated that public opinion in the Islamic Republic holds it responsible for the explosion during the anniversary ceremony of Qassem Soleimani. Many users on social media reacted differently from the statements of the Islamic Republic's Minister of Interior, and some observers believe 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 'fallen victim to terrorism' and that '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.' He warned about an increase in executions and repression, saying: 'I am concerned that the government will increase executions and repression 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: 'For the past forty years, Israeli attacks have always been targeted and aimed at eliminating key figures in the regime.' She emphasized that 'bombing graves and killing people can only be attributed to the nefarious 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 the chain of reaction. Therefore, it tries to preemptively sabotage and neutralize it by committing intentional killings and then blaming Israel.' 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, spokesperson for the 'Patriotic Kurds of Iran' 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 carried 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 X: 'You go for sacrificial food and drinks, but you get hard revenge.' Behnaz 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 noted previous instances of the Islamic Republic killing citizens, adding: 'The perpetrators of the killings in Kerman are the same ones who burned Cinema Rex in Abadan; the same ones who blew up the Imam Reza shrine; the same ones who killed 1,500 people in two days and did not take responsibility for even one.' Mohsen Khorram, one of the users on X, referred to threats against people by Basij forces during the nationwide protests of 2022, sharing a clipping from the newspaper Etelaat, reminding of a statement 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 government.' Babi Afrouz, a civil activist opposing the Islamic Republic, also reposted 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 uses a group of innocent Muslims as a shield, it is our duty to kill both the Muslim and non-Muslim.' Behnam Gholipour, a journalist, also rejected the hypothesis of attributing the Kerman explosions to Israel, stating: 'Israel strikes accurately and purposefully without harming or intending to harm the people of Iran. The two indiscriminate explosions at Soleimani's ceremony in Kerman do not fit Israel.' He also emphasized: 'This incident is a similar program to Shahcheragh to deceive and provoke public opinion by the Velayati 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 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 guardians of the country's security,' 'incompetent' and stating that 'the security and lives of Iranians have become a tool for hollow 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 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, added in a statement that the Secretary-General expressed condolences and called for accountability for those responsible. Earlier, Nabila Massrali, a spokesperson for the European Union's foreign policy, reacted to the bombing in Kerman by issuing a statement, expressing solidarity with the people of Iran and labeling 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 have deeply affected us. 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 burned images of Qassem Soleimani in various cities across Iran.