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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 4 January 2024
Iran says at least 103 were killed in blasts at a ceremony honoring

slain general

By JON GAMBRELL While Israel has carried
Associated Press out attacks in Iran over its
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- nuclear program, it has
ates (AP) — Two bombs ex- conducted targeted assas-
ploded and killed at least sinations, not mass casualty
103 people Wednesday at bombings. A U.S. State De-
a commemoration for a partment spokesman, Mat-
prominent Iranian general thew Miller, said American
slain by the U.S. in a 2020 officials had “no reason” to
drone strike, Iranian officials believe Israel was involved
said, as the Middle East re- in Wednesday’s attack in
mains on edge over Israel’s Iran.
war with Hamas in Gaza. Sunni extremist groups in-
No one immediately cluding the Islamic State
claimed responsibility for group have conducted
what appeared to be the large-scale attacks in the
deadliest militant attack past that killed civilians in
to target Iran since its 1979 Shiite-majority Iran, though
Islamic Revolution. Iran’s not in relatively peaceful
leaders vowed to punish Kerman.
those responsible for the Iran also has seen mass
blasts, which wounded at protests in recent years,
least 211 people. Injured people get aid after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. including those over the
The blasts were minutes Associated Press death of 22-year-old Mah-
apart and shook the city sa Amini in 2022. The coun-
of Kerman, about 820 kilo- immediately giving clear counts of officials, who said cy officials for the casu- try also has been targeted
meters (510 miles) south- details of what happened. the first blast happened alty figures. Authorities said by exile groups in attacks
east of the capital, Tehran. The attacks came a day about 700 meters (765 Thursday would be a na- dating back to the turmoil
The second blast sprayed after a deputy head of the yards) from Soleimani’s tional day of mourning. surrounding its 1979 Islamic
shrapnel into a screaming Palestinian militant group grave in the Kerman Mar- Iran’s Supreme Leader Revolution.
crowd fleeing the first ex- Hamas was killed in a sus- tyrs Cemetery near a park- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran itself has been arm-
plosion. pected Israeli strike in Bei- ing lot. The crowd then said the attackers will face ing militant groups over
The gathering marked the rut. rushed west along Shoha- “a harsh response,” though the decades, including
fourth anniversary of the The first bomb Wednesday da Street, where the sec- he didn’t name any pos- Hamas, the Lebanese Shi-
killing of Gen. Qassem So- was detonated around 3 ond blast struck about 1 sible suspect. Iranian Presi- ite militia Hezbollah and
leimani, the head of the p.m., and the other went kilometer (0.62 miles) from dent Ebrahim Raisi added: Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Revolutionary Guard’s elite off some 20 minutes later, the grave. “Undoubtedly, the perpe- As Israel wages its devas-
Quds Force, in a U.S. drone the Iranian interior minis- A delayed second explo- trators and leaders of this tating war in Gaza after
strike in Iraq. The explosions ter, Ahmad Vahidi, told sion is often used by mili- cowardly act will soon be Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks that
occurred near his grave state television. He said tants to inflict more casual- identified and punished.” killed 1,200 people, both
site as long lines of people the second blast killed and ties by targeting emergen- Iran has multiple foes who Hezbollah and the Houthis
gathered for the event. wounded the most people. cy personnel responding could be behind the as- have launched attacks
Iranian state television and Images and video shared to an attack. Iranian state sault, including exile targeting Israel that they
officials described the at- on social media appeared TV and state-run IRNA news groups, militant organiza- say come on behalf of the
tacks as bombings, without to correspond with the ac- agency quoted emergen- tions and state actors. Palestinians.q

Puerto Rico official says governor’s office must stop using slogan

that looks like electioneering

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Party has challenged the last year by the Popular
— The Puerto Rico gover- administration’s use of the Democratic Party alleges
nor’s office must stop using phrase. that more than $3 million
the slogan “Making things Walter Vélez, who oversees in public funds have been
happen” to promote the the election comptroller’s used to promote the slo-
administration’s work be- office, told reporters that gan, and the case is pend-
cause it looks like election the slogan could allude to ing in court.
campaigning, election of- achievements and goals, Jesús Manuel Ortiz, the
ficials said Wednesday. both of which are barred party’s president, said in a
The phrase can no longer under laws restricting the statement that it’s regret-
appear on ads launched use of public funds for elec- table the slogan wasn’t
with public money by the tion-related advertising. struck down until this year,
administration of Gov. Pe- Sheila Angleró, a spokes- adding that the funds
dro Pierluisi, who is seeking woman for Pierluisi, said the should not be used “to de-
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi gives a press conference in San a second term in an elec- governor’s office is evalu- velop campaigns to high-
Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 6, 2019. tion this year. The opposi- ating the decision. light anyone’s image.”q
Associated Press tion Popular Democratic A lawsuit filed in October