On Tuesday morning, two bombings rocked the town of Qasr-e-Shirin, located in western Kermanshah Province in Iran. The twin blasts left dozens dead or injured near the grave of slain Iran Revolutionary Guard Commander Qassem Soleimani.
The bombings occurred in a busy shopping district in the area, leading to massive destruction in the area and many casualties. Reports suggest the bombs were detonated at around 8 AM local time, and the impact of the explosions was felt even as far as 4 miles away.
So far, no organization has come forward to take responsibility for the attack, though there are speculation that this could be an attack from anti-Iran factions or terrorist groups. The attack is likely to add fuel to the already heightened tensions between Iran and the rest of the world.
The Iranian government is already on edge due to the US airstrike that killed Soleimani in January. The US strike came shortly after Iran-backed militias attacked the US Embassy in Baghdad. The US had accused Soleimani of responsibility for the attack and so had retaliated. Iranian leadership is likely to believe that at least some other foreign power may be responsible for this latest attack.
Meanwhile, Iran has declared a national day of mourning in response to the tragedy in Qasr-e-Shirin. The Iranian government has also promised a swift investigation and promised harsh consequences for those responsible.
Given the heavy diplomatic and political tensions, it is unlikely that the truth behind the twin bombings will be uncovered any time soon. In the meantime, all of us can hope that justice is served for the victims of this tragic attack.
