The Islamic State has officially claimed responsibility for the devastating bombing attack in Kerman, Iran, which resulted in the tragic loss of 84 lives during a memorial procession for Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani. The extremist group announced its involvement through its official Telegram account, referring to the assault as a “dual martyrdom operation.”

According to the statement released by the Islamic State, two militants, identified as Omar al-Mowahid and Sayefulla al-Mujahid, approached a ceremony at the tomb of General Suleimani and detonated explosive belts strapped to their bodies “near the grave of the hypocrite leader.”

General Suleimani, a figure widely revered and feared in the Iranian military, had been assassinated four years ago in a U.S. drone attack. The Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim organization, sees its mission as targeting apostate Muslims, including Shiites. Iran, being predominantly Shiite, is governed theocratically by Shiite clerics.

While the Islamic State did not specify the regional organization responsible for the bombings, it has a history of viewing Iran as a sectarian adversary. General Suleimani played a crucial role in establishing a network of Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq to counter the influence of the extremist group.

The Islamic State, particularly its affiliate ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan, has previously issued threats against Iran, citing perceived polytheism and apostasy. The group has claimed responsibility for various past attacks in Iran, with the most recent incident occurring in October 2022 when a gunman killed 13 people at a shrine in Shiraz. In that particular attack, the Islamic State framed its actions as part of an ancient conflict between Sunnis and Shiites, rooted in a seventh-century dispute over the rightful heir to Prophet Muhammad.