Several suspects have been detained in Iran in connection with the Islamic State-claimed deadly suicide bombings this week that killed at least 91 people during commemorations for a former Iranian commander as President Ebrahim Raisi joined mourners on January 5 for the funerals of some of the victims.
State TV showed footage of crowds chanting “revenge, revenge” at the funerals in the southeastern city of Kerman, the scene of the twin explosions that also injured scores on January 3.
The attack -- the bloodiest in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution -- targeted a memorial service for military commander General Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated in Iraq in 2020 by a U.S. drone.
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Deadly Blasts In Iran Strike Memorial For Slain General Soleimani
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV on January 5 that the country’s intelligence agencies “have found very good clues regarding elements involved in the terrorist explosions in Kerman.”
The minister said that a number “of those who had a role in this incident have been arrested,” but did not elaborate.
State news agencies quoted Deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi as saying that "various individuals have been arrested in five cities in five provinces” in connection with the attacks. Mirahmadi said the details will be announced in “the next few hours.”
The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed on January 4 that two of its members had detonated explosive belts in the crowd that had gathered for Soleimani's memorial. IS has in the past claimed responsibility for some terrorist attacks in Iran.
But Iranian leaders and state media have sought to link the latest bombings to the wider Middle East tensions arising from the ongoing conflict in Gaza and indirectly blame the United States for the attacks.
“The enemy always sees the power of the Islamic republic. The whole world is recognizing this power and this ability,” Raisi said, without naming any country.
"Be sure, the initiative is in the hands of our powerful forces. The place and time will be determined by our forces.”
The gathered crowd in the funerals shouted in response: "Death to America!" and “Death to Israel!”
Washington has rejected any suggestion that it or its ally Israel were behind the bombings. Israel, Iran's arch foe, has not commented on the allegations.
Iranian state television aired comments from 2016 from then-U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, who wrongly accused then-President Barack Obama of being the “founder” of IS.
The attacks killed at least 91 people authorities said on January 6 in an update of the death toll. Around 280 were injured by the blasts. The bombings have sparked condemnation from around the world.
Soleimani had been part of the Iranian response to IS in Syria, while focusing on keeping embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- an ally of Tehran -- in power.
Soleimani also had extensive ties to proxy groups around the wider Middle East, including Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union. He was seen by Washington as the mastermind behind deadly roadside bombings targeting American soldiers in Iraq.