Iran warns Israel will “pay a heavy price” after deadly explosions at commander’s memorial

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel for deadly twin explosions during a memorial ceremony in southeastern Iran on Wednesday.

The blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani came on the fourth anniversary of his death in a US airstrike, threatening to accelerate tensions in the region that have spiked since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

“I warn the Zionist regime: Do not doubt that you will pay a heavy price for this crime and the crimes you have committed,” Raisi said in a televised speech.

Raisi, who is the head of the Iranian government, also warned that Israel’s punishment will be “regrettable and severe.”

The Israeli military told CNN it had “no comment” on the explosions in Iran. No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts which Iran has called a “terror attack.”

US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters Wednesday that the US does not “have any independent information” about the explosions, and that the State Department has “no reason to believe that Israel was involved.”

Source » cnn.com