Iranians are blaming the regime for the Kerman terrorist attack

Two suicide bombs killed nearly 100 people and wounded many more in the Iranian province of Kerman on 3 January, as Iranians gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani. It was the most devastating terrorist attack to hit Iran in many years.   

There is little agreement in Iran over who was ultimately culpable for the attack. Opinions have sharply divided along political lines. The government quickly blamed the United States and Israel, suggesting the attack was an Israeli attempt to draw Iran into a wider regional conflict. 

As observers had suspected, the attacks were eventually claimed by Islamic State’s Afghanistan branch, Isis-Khorasan. The group has carried out attacks in Iran before, in Shiraz and against the Iranian parliament. Yet even after Isis-K said it was responsible for the 3 January attack, the Iranian regime doubled down and insisted that Isis-Khorasan were enabled by the US and Israel.