New Delhi: India on Thursday expressed shock over two bomb blasts in the Iranian city of Kerman that killed more than 80 people and injured hundreds more and conveyed its solidarity to the government and people of Iran.
The twin blasts that targeted large crowds participating in an event marking the fourth anniversary of the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani have been described by the Iranian leadership as terror attacks. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, which triggered confusion and speculation in Iran.
“We are shocked and saddened on the terrible bombings in the Kerman City of Iran,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
“At this difficult time, we express our solidarity with the government and people of Iran. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with the wounded,” he said.
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Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pledged a “harsh response” to the bombings that killed 84 people and injured nearly 300 others. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council met on Thursday to discuss the process of identifying and punishing the perpetrators of the attacks, state media reported.
{{/usCountry}}Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pledged a “harsh response” to the bombings that killed 84 people and injured nearly 300 others. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council met on Thursday to discuss the process of identifying and punishing the perpetrators of the attacks, state media reported.
{{/usCountry}}Amid speculation that Arab separatist groups or the Islamic State may have been behind the bombings, which have been described as the deadliest since the 1979 revolution, Hamas said such attacks that seek to disrupt security and stability in Iran serve the “sinister plans of the Zionist enemy”.
Responding to a question at the weekly media briefing on the situation in the Red Sea against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Jaiswal said India is keeping a close watch on developments in the region though it has not joined any multilateral efforts to protect merchant shipping.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted several merchant vessels, including two with Indian crew members, in the Red Sea as a show of support for Hamas.
“We had made it very clear that we attach very high importance to freedom of navigation[and] free movement of commercial shipping. It’s an evolving situation and we are looking at all aspects of it,” Jaiswal said.
Indian Navy warships are patrolling the area and keeping a watch on Indian ships in the Red Sea. “So far, we are not part of any multilateral initiative or project in the area...But we are looking at the unfolding situation very closely,” he said.