Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly Iran attack that killed over 100

In a shocking turn of events, two explosions resulted in the deaths of nearly 100 people and left many others injured during a ceremony in Iran commemorating the late commander Qassem Soleimani on Wednesday. The Islamic State (ISIS) promptly claimed responsibility for the attacks, issuing a statement about the explosions on its affiliated Telegram channels.

The first blast, confirmed by media agencies as a suicide bombing by investigators, ripped through the crowd gathered near Soleimani's grave at around 2:45 PM. Approximately 700 meters away, a second explosion, which was believed to be another suicide bombing, added to the chaos and devastation.

Iran's supreme leader condemns attack

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, condemned the attacks as acts of "evil and criminal enemies" and pledged a "harsh response." However, the source of these enemies remains a point of contention.

Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi's deputy chief of staff and the current Quds Force commander, Esmail Qaani, hinted at potential involvement by the United States and Israel. They pointed to terrorism as a tool used by these countries to destabilise Iran.

However, experts like Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, expressed doubts about such claims. He emphasised that the attack's characteristics, including the suicide bombings, don't align with the typical methods of past Israeli operations in Iran. Instead, Vaez suggested that the ISIS claim of responsibility holds more weight based on the attack's modus operandi.