Twin blasts kill dozens on anniversary of Iranian General's death

By Linda Bordoni

Hundreds of people were reportedly walking towards the tomb of prominent Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani, who died in a US air strike in 2020.

The death toll from the blasts is expected to rise as many of the wounded are in critical condition.

General Soleimani, the Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ overseas operations arm, the Quds Force, was seen as the most powerful figure in Iran after the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Architect of Iranian regional policy

He was an architect of Iranian policy across the region and through his guidance, the Quds Force provided funding, weapons, intelligence and logistical support to allied governments and armed groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

The 2020 drone strike at Baghdad airport in which he was killed, had been ordered by then-US President, Donal Trump.

Shortly after the blasts near his gravesite in Kerman, some 820 kilometres southeast of Teheran, an Iranian official described them as caused by “terrorist attacks”.

He did not elaborate on who could be behind them amid wider tensions in the Mideast over Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

No group immediately claimed responsibility.

General Soleimani’s popularity remains tangible in Iran and his death has drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession. (Source AP and other News Agencies)