At least 95 die as two blasts hit Iranian city

More than 95 Iranians were killed and scores more injured in a terrorist attack at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate the killing of a top general, further heightening tensions in the increasingly volatile Middle East.

- Patrick Wintour

The explosions came at a memorial ceremony in the city of Kerman marking the fourth anniversary of the death of Gen Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, who was killed by a US airstrike in Baghdad.

It was not clear if either of Suleimani's principal regional adversaries - Israel or Islamic State - were responsible for the carnage.

Iran's interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, did not immediately attribute blame for the attack and no side claimed responsibility for the deadliest single terrorist incident since the Iranian revolution in 1979.

Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, responded by saying: "The enemies of the nation should know that such actions can never cause a disturbance in the iron determination of the Iranian nation to defend Islamic ideals." He added that the attacks only made Iran more determined "to dry up the roots of terror and violence." Iranian officials said the explosions had been caused by two bombs that were detonated remotely. Witness reports spoke of two explosions 15 minutes apart as crowds gathered to mark the death of Suleimani, once regarded as the most powerful figure in the Middle East, and responsible for extending Iranian influence in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.

According to the official IRNA news agency, the first explosion occurred 700 metres from Suleimani's burial place and the second was 1km away.