Iran Update, January 2, 2024
Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met with senior Houthi official Mohammad Abdul Salam in Tehran on January 1.[98] Abdollahian thanked Abdul Salam for his “strong” position supporting Palestinians. Abdul Salam thanked Abdollahian for Iran’s continued support for the Axis of Resistance. Abdul Salam is the chief Houthi negotiator engaging Saudi Arabia to end the ongoing war in Yemen.
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias praised the Houthi movement for confronting the United States and Israel on December 31, 2023, and January 1, 2024. KH praised the Houthis on December 31 for fulfilling their “legal and moral duty” to confront Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea.[99] This framing is inaccurate because the Houthis have attacked several vessels with no connection to Israel or Israeli interests in recent weeks. Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba separately expressed solidarity with the Houthis on January 1, stating that “the battle is one, the enemy is one, and the fate is one.”[100]
full report: https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-january-2-2024
Unspecified fighters conducted a terrorist attack near Qassem Soleimani’s burial site in Kerman on the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death on January 3.[46] The unspecified fighters remotely detonated two improvised explosive devices within twenty minutes of each other. Iranian media has not confirmed the size or type of explosive device. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated that the first explosion occurred at 1500 local time and the second more deadly explosion occurred at 1520.[47] The first explosion occurred within 700 meters of Soleimani’s burial site, and the second explosion occurred within one kilometer of Soleimani’s burial site. Iranian media reported that the two explosions killed 103 people and injured an additional 188.[48] Iranian media emphasized that no IRGC officials were in attendance or injured.[49] The attack killed three Law Enforcement Command (LEC) officers.[50]
Bloomberg News reported that the United States initially believes that the Islamic State or a related group was responsible for the attack.[51] The State Department spokesperson said that the United States does not believe Israel was to blame. The Afghan branch of the Islamic State likely conducted two separate smaller-scale terror attacks in Shiraz, 591 kilometers from Kerman, in October 2022 and August 2023.[52] CTP-ISW previously assessed that the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) maintained ground lines of communication between Iran and Afghanistan.[53]
Iranian officials, including the Security Deputy of Kerman, called the explosion a terrorist attack.[54] The Iranian Interior Minister said that the terrorist attack was a ”continuation of conspiracies” carried out by Iran's enemies.[55] Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed his condolences to the victims of the terror attack.[56] Khamenei stated that the attack was carried out by the ”evil and criminal enemies” of Iran. Khamenei promised a hard response to the attack.
full report: https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-january-3-2024
Why were Qasem Soleimani’s children absent from their father's funeral?
Iranians are sharing funeral photos of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard commander, where over 100 were killed in today's attack, questioning the absence of his family. Also noted is the lack of Islamic regime officials among the victims, while many children and women perished.
As the regime blames Israel and America, Iranians hold the Islamic regime leaders accountable for this deadly attack, recalling the regime's history of crimes against their people.
https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/1742640061236048196