Current:Home > MarketsIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vows "harsh response" to deadly bomb attack-InfoLens
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vows "harsh response" to deadly bomb attack
View Date:2024-12-23 14:59:28
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a "harsh response" to Wednesday's bomb attack on crowds gathered to mark the anniversary of the 2020 assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, as Iran observed a day of mourning Thursday. The attack killed at least 84 people, Iranian authorities said.
"Cruel criminals must know that they will be strongly dealt with from now on," Khamenei said in a statement.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack, which appeared to be the deadliest targeting Iran since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The death toll was revised down to 84 early Thursday by the country's emergency services after initially being reported as over 100. More than 280 people were wounded, according to the emergency services.
Washington denied U.S. involvement and U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. had "no reason" to believe Israel was involved. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby indicated the same and said "our hearts go out to all the innocent victims and their family members."
Wednesday's twin bombings occurred minutes apart in the city of Kerman, which is just over 500 miles from Iran's capital city, Tehran. A crowd had gathered to mark four years since the assassination Qasem Soleimani, who was the head of the Quds Force, in a U.S. drone strike.
The first explosion took place at about 3 p.m. local time, around 765 yards from Soleimani's grave. As the crowd rushed away from that blast, the second occurred around 20 minutes later on a street they were using to try to get out of the area, The Associated Press reported. A delayed second explosion is a tactic often used by militants to target emergency responders.
- In:
- Iran
Haley Ott is cbsnews.com's foreign reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau. Haley joined the cbsnews.com team in 2018, prior to which she worked for outlets including Al Jazeera, Monocle, and Vice News.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (9)
Related
- Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger welcome their first son together
- Union workers at Hawaii’s largest hotel go on strike
- Fantasy football waiver wire: 10 players to add for NFL Week 4
- T.I. and Tameka Tiny Harris Win $71 Million in Lawsuit Against Toy Company
- Why the US celebrates Veterans Day and how the holiday has changed over time
- Ohio sheriff deletes online post about Harris supporters and their yard signs after upset
- Chick-fil-A makes pimento cheese available as standalone side for a limited time
- Tropical Storm Helene forms; Florida bracing for major hurricane hit: Live updates
- Krispy Kreme is giving free dozens to early customers on World Kindness Day
- Georgia court could reject counting presidential votes for Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz
Ranking
- Tennis Channel suspends reporter after comments on Barbora Krejcikova's appearance
- This Viral Pumpkin Dutch Oven Is on Sale -- Shop These Deals From Staub, Le Creuset & More
- Fantasy football waiver wire: 10 players to add for NFL Week 4
- Second US death from EEE mosquito virus reported in New York, residents warned
- Georgia public universities and colleges see enrollment rise by 6%
- Beloved fantasy author Brandon Sanderson releases children's book with Kazu Kibuishi
- Wisconsin capital city sends up to 2,000 duplicate absentee ballots, leading to GOP concerns
- Wisconsin capital city sends up to 2,000 duplicate absentee ballots, leading to GOP concerns
Recommendation
-
Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked
-
Union workers at Hawaii’s largest hotel go on strike
-
Ken Paxton sues Biden administration over listing Texas lizard as endangered
-
Sean “Diddy” Combs Moved Into Same Jail Housing Unit as Disgraced Exec Sam Bankman-Fried
-
Diamond Sports Group will offer single-game pricing to stream NBA and NHL games starting next month
-
Derek Hough Shares Family Plans With Miracle Wife Hayley Erbert
-
FAMU postpones upcoming home game against Alabama A&M because of threat of Helene
-
Arizona Democratic campaign office damaged by gunfire