An event commemorating the 2020 assassination of Iran’s top commander, Qassem Soleimani, turned tragic as an explosion rocked a cemetery in Kerman. 

The ceremony, attended by mourners, witnessed over 100 fatalities and left more than 140 individuals injured, with two explosions occurring roughly 10 minutes apart, according to Iranian state media.

Kerman’s mayor, Saeed Tabrizi, spoke to Iran’s state-run ISNA news agency, stating, “The blasts took place about 10 minutes apart.” 

The deputy governor of Kerman, Rahman Jalali, described the incidents as “terroristic attacks” without divulging information about the potential culprits.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted two unnamed sources, reporting that “two bags carrying bombs went off” at the burial site. These sources suggested that the “perpetrators… of this incident apparently detonated the bombs by remote control.”

Highlighting the complex geopolitical tensions, the report acknowledges that Iran faces threats both internally and externally. 

Israel has faced accusations of conducting drone strikes on Iranian military facilities, while Sunni extremist groups, notably Islamic State, have targeted civilian locations in the predominantly Shia nation.

As investigations unfold, no group has claimed responsibility for the explosions, adding to the mystery surrounding the tragic incident. 

The situation gains further significance as it occurred a day after the death of Hamas’s deputy leader, Saleh al Arouri, in a separate explosion in Beirut. 

The simultaneous occurrences raise concerns and heighten scrutiny of the region’s volatile dynamics.