A pair of explosions killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores in Kerman, Iran, during a ceremony to mark the 2020 death of the country's then-top commander, Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S. drone attack, Iranian officials reported on January 3. The explosions occurred near Soleimani's burial site, where many Iranians had gathered to honor the late general, and were some of the deadliest attacks on Iran in decades. The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the bombings on January 4, saying two suicide attackers carried out the blasts.

A CGTN Stringer interviewed Iranians on the streets of Kerman in the aftermath. People condemned the attacks. One resident said he arrived on site shortly after the explosions and immediately started crying. "Why would they bomb innocent people? This is outrageous," he said.