Iran Will 'Respond With Fire and Fury' to Deadly Attack at Soleimani Event

Iran has promised to seek vengeance upon the perpetrator of deadly blasts that have reportedly killed more than 100 people at a ceremony marking the fourth anniversary of the death of a famed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. strike. "The fear of the Zionist regime & its puppet terrorist groups of Martyr Soleimani led to another crime in Kerman during his commemoration ceremony," the Iranian Mission to the said in a statement shared with and posted on X, formerly .

"Iran will respond with fire & fury to the orchestrators, perpetrators, & anyone who's aided & abetted in this terrorist attack," the Mission added. The comments marked the closest Iranian officials have come to directly blaming Israel for the attack at a time when tensions between the two nations have been flaring over the ongoing war in Gaza.

The Mission also shared a letter by Iranian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani and addressed to U.N. Security Council President Nicolas de Rivière and U.N. Secretary General António Guterres. In the letter, the Iranian ambassador asserted that "comprehensive investigations are currently underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators and organizers behind this premeditated and appalling crime," and that Iran "is committed to leveraging all available mechanisms to ensure accountability for those responsible and their accomplices in this heinous terrorist act." "The Islamic Republic of Iran unequivocally condemns such abhorrent acts of terrorism and remains steadfast in the pursuit of justice for the victims," Iravani said.

He called on the U.N. Security Council to officially condemn the attack and stated that, "as one of the primary victims of terrorism and having directly experienced its catastrophic consequences, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains steadfast in its unwavering commitment to leading the fight against this scourge." Local emergency services have said that at least 103 people were killed and 211 injured when two explosions occurred in quick succession near the Saheb al Zaman Mosque in Kerman, where a succession of mourners were said to be paying respects to Soleimani, who is buried nearby.

The attacks come just one day after political bureau deputy leader Saleh al Arouri was assassinated in a large blast in a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut amid the group's ongoing war with Israel. Palestinian factions and a number of other supporters abroad, including Iran, for the attack, which neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

Iran has extolled Hamas and other Palestinian factions involved in a conflict that began with an October 7 surprise attack against Israel, and has called for an immediate ceasefire to the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) ongoing offensive in Gaza. has reached out to the Iranian Red Crescent Society and the IDF for comment.

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