Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is vowing a “harsh response” after twin blasts that killed at least 103 people at the tomb of slain general Qassem Soleimani, but Tehran pointedly appears to avoid blaming Israel for the attacks.
“The evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation once again created a disaster and martyred a large number of dear people in Kerman,” says Khamenei in a statement.
“This disaster will have a harsh response, God willing.”
Iranian President Esmail Raisi vows that “the perpetrators of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished for their heinous act.”
Esmail Qaani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, praises Soleimani for his support of “Palestinian resistance,” but also does not explicitly blame Israel, according to comments carried by Iranian state media.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
