The Islamic State (ISIS) group claimed responsibility on Thursday for the attack that left 84 people dead in Iran near the tomb of General Qassem Soleimani, former architect of Iranian military operations in the Middle East.
Via its Telegram channels, the jihadist group said two of its members "activated their explosive belts" amid "a large gathering of apostates near the grave of their leader +Qassem Soleimani+ yesterday in Kerman, southern Iran".
According to the statement, the ISIS operation was part of a campaign dubbed "And kill them wherever you find them."
A few minutes before the claim, ISIS released an audio recording of its spokesman saying that the campaign was being carried out "in support of Muslims wherever they are, including Palestine."
The attack, which also injured 284 people, took place near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque, which houses the tomb of General Soleimani, killed in January 2020 in a US drone strike in Iraq. It occurred amid the commemoration of his death.
Qassem Soleimani was a key figure in the Islamic Republic and one of the country's most popular personalities. Declared a "living martyr" by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while he was still alive, Soleimani was celebrated for his role in defeating ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
The attack took place in a highly tense regional context fuelled by the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and Iranian officials had immediately pointed a finger at Israel and the United States.
