Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolence to the Iranian leadership on Wednesday, condemning the killing of people who visited the grave of General Qassem Soleimani on the anniversary of his death as “shocking in its cruelty and cynicism.”
At least 95 people were killed by two explosions in the Iranian city of Kerman, as thousands of pilgrims flocked to Soleimani’s grave. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leader was killed outside Baghdad, Iraq by a US drone strike in 2020.
“Please convey words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured,” Putin said in a message to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reaffirm our commitment to an uncompromising fight against this evil,” the Russian leader added.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bombings yet. Some Iranian officials have suggested Israel or the US might have been behind the attacks. The Israeli government has described Iran as being part of the “axis of evil” along with the Gaza-based Hamas.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller insisted on Wednesday that the US “was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous.” He also added that Washington had “no reason to believe that Israel was involved” in the explosions.