Washington, DC – NIAC President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement after two explosions killed scores of Iranians who had gathered to mark the anniversary of the 2020 U.S. assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Kerman. Initial reports indicate at least 100 fatalities and many more injuries, and come amid a significant escalation of tensions throughout the region amid the current war between Israel and Palestine:
“We deplore this latest terrorist attack to strike inside of Iran, which has reportedly claimed more than 100 lives and injured countless more. This carnage occurs on the heels of assassinations conducted by Israel in Syria and Lebanon that some believe were aimed at goading Hezbollah and Iran to directly enter and expand the Israel-Palestine war into a regional conflagration involving the U.S.. Tensions are incredibly high as we wait to hear who this attack is attributed to, and this is just the latest stark reminder that the U.S., Iran and Israel remain on the precipice of a full-blown regional war that would be disastrous to all actors, including civilian populations across the region. We urge the U.S. to condemn this attack and express solidarity with the people of Iran. We also reiterate our call on the U.S. to move with urgency to de-escalate and pursue a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, and to support broader regional diplomacy, before the crisis spirals fully out of control and leads to a full-blown regional war.”
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