Certainly. At least 90 individuals have been officially confirmed as deceased following two explosions that disrupted a memorial ceremony near the tomb of the late Iranian military leader, Qasem Soleimani. The responsibility for these deadly attacks has been claimed by ISIS, occurring on the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the Islamic militant.
On January 3, 2020, the former General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qassem Soleimani, met his demise in a drone attack. This strike was ordered by President Donald Trump, targeting Soleimani and several other militants. The U.S. leader justified the action by asserting that the target had contributed to millions of deaths and posed a threat to future interests. However, Soleimani, considered a hero by many Islamic fundamentalists, received vows of revenge from Iran following the strike.
The recent assault on the memorial is likely to intensify an already volatile situation. This incident, stemming from explosives concealed in two briefcases and triggered remotely, transpired approximately 2,300 feet (0.62 miles) from Soleimani’s tomb. Given the already heightened tensions in the Middle East, this act has the potential to further ignite significant conflict in the predominantly Islamic region.
According to Al Jazeera, a drone attack eliminated Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, Lebanon, just a day ago. Responsibility for the strike has not been claimed, but local authorities are attributing it to Israel.
Iran has chosen to limit its direct involvement in the conflict against Israel by channeling support to proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. These groups are not hesitant to broaden their battlegrounds, implying that any confirmed aggression from Israel could potentially lead to a conflict involving not just Gaza but also Lebanon and, perhaps, other neighboring countries.
The incident on October 7, in which over 1,200 individuals lost their lives in the predominantly Jewish nation at the hands of Hamas militants, triggered a forceful response from Israel that persists to this day. Since the commencement of the counter-attacks, an estimated 22,185 Palestinians have lost their lives.
