Two explosions at a commemoration for deceased Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani have killed at least 84 people and injured 284 more.
From 1998 to 2020, Soleimani commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. Tasked with overseeing Iran’s clandestine and extraterritorial operations, some believed Soleimani was the right-hand man of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Soleimani was targeted and killed in a U.S. drone strike ordered by then-President Trump on Jan. 3, 2020.
Fox News has more:
Iranian officials say the explosions occurred during a ceremony honoring Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his death.
Soleimani was killed in 2020 at the hands of a U.S. drone strike ordered by then-President Trump.
“The blasts were caused by terrorist attacks,” Iranian media quoted a local official as saying, without accusing any specific party. “Several gas canisters exploded on the road leading to the cemetery.”
The explosions come amid severe tensions between Iran, the U.S. and Israel. Iran’s proxy terrorist groups have attacked U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria more than 100 times since October, and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have harassed trade in the Red Sea. Hezbollah, another Iran-supported group, has threatened Israel’s northern border with drone attacks.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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