Iran twin blasts near Soleimani grave kill 103

Twin bomb blasts killed at least 103 people in Iran Wednesday, ripping through a crowd commemorating Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani four years after his death in a US strike, state media reported.
The two explosions -- unclaimed but labelled a "terrorist attack" by state media and regional authorities -- came amid high Middle East tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and the killing of a Hamas senior leader in Lebanon on Tuesday.
The blasts, about 15 minutes apart, struck near the Martyrs Cemetery at the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, Soleimani's southern hometown, as supporters gathered to mark his killing in a 2020 US drone strike in Baghdad.
"The number of people killed rose to 103 following the deaths of people injured during the terrorist explosions," said the official IRNA news agency, while state television reported 211 wounded, some in critical condition.
Among those killed were three paramedics who rushed to the scene after the first explosion, said Iran's Red Crescent.
IRNA said the first explosion took place around 700 metres from Soleimani's grave while the other was around one kilometre away.
President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the "heinous" crime as the Islamic Republic of Iran declared Thursday a national day of mourning.
Tasnim news agency, quoting what it called informed sources, said "two bags carrying bombs went off" and "the perpetrators... apparently detonated the bombs by remote control".
Online footage showed panicked crowds scrambling to flee as security personnel cordoned off the area.
State television showed bloodied victims lying on the ground and ambulances and rescue personnel racing to help them.
"We were walking towards the cemetery when a car suddenly stopped behind us and a waste bin containing a bomb exploded," an eyewitness was quoted saying by the ISNA news agency.
"We only heard the explosion and saw people falling."
By nightfall, crowds returned back to the Martyrs Cemetery in Kerman chanting: "Death to Israel" and "Death to America".
In Tehran, thousands gathered at the Grand Mosalla Mosque to pay tribute to Soleimani.
"We condemn today's bitter terrorist incident... I hope the perpetrators of the crime will be identified and punished for their actions," Soleimani's daughter, Zeinab, said.
The blasts came a day after Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri -- an Iran ally -- was killed in a strike, which Lebanese officials blamed on Israel, on a southern Beirut suburb that is a stronghold of Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.