Two explosions ripped through a crowd of terrorist sympathizers gathered for the memorial of the fourth anniversary of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani's assassination. According to Iranian state media, over 100 people were killed, and at least 140 were wounded.

If you recall, Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike as his entourage was leaving the Baghdad Airport (BREAKING: Iranian Revolutionary Guard Leader Qasem Soleimani, Other Pro-Iranian Leaders Taken Out in Strike Near U.S. Forces in Baghdad). President Trump ordered the attack and apparently surprised the Pentagon and State Department as least as much as it did Soleimani, perhaps more because Defense and State had time to reflect upon the events (NYT Claims Top Pentagon Officials Were 'Flabbergasted' When President Trump Agreed to Use Their Plan to Kill Soleimani).

This was a significant blow to the elite and secretive Quds force that supplied training, weapons, cash, and assistance to Iranian proxy groups from its center of gravity in the Middle East as far afield as Latin America.

It all started innocently enough, with people gathering at the Kernan Martyrs Cemetery in the southern Iranian city of Kernan to commemorate the Cuisinart-ing of one of the world's most prolific terrorists. There was the obligatory walking on the flag of the "Great Satan."

General Abdul Amir Yarallah, Chief of Staff of the Iraqi army walks on the American flag during today’s ceremony on the anniversary of the killing of terrorists Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, by US strike on 3 January 2020!
Yarallah a hardcore IRGC operative who… pic.twitter.com/nh9g658Zxq

— Entifadh Qanbar 🇮🇶🇺🇸 انتفاض قنبر (@eqanbar) January 3, 2024

While the event was underway, two bombs went off about a half-mile from the grave site, blasting the column of participants.

🚨 First scenes from #Iran 🇮🇷 following mysterious explosions near Qassem Soleimani's grave, on the occasion of the anniversary of his assassinationpic.twitter.com/FKvh24shGb

— Zechariah Shar'abi | זכריה | زكريا (@ZechariahSharab) January 3, 2024

Terror attack in Iran while people were paying their respects to General Soleimani.

73 innocent Iranians were killed and 170 injured.

Can’t help but think Israel is behind this in the most cowardly disgusting attempt of escalation. pic.twitter.com/9SqW6wD64U

— nuno marques (@numarqs) January 3, 2024

US/Israeli backed terrorists murdered at least 20 people participating in ceremonies today commemorating the 4th anniversary of General Soleimani's martyrdom at the hands of the US regime. The Iranian general led the fight against NATO backed ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and their affiliates. pic.twitter.com/UVPVWAd4cb

— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) January 3, 2024

What happens next is the big question. The search is underway for the scapegoat, with the US and Israel running neck and neck for the honors. I don't think sane people believe Joe Biden would authorize a bombing like this, given his reticence to retaliate for direct attacks on US military installations (Biden Waits Until a US Soldier Is Critically Injured to Authorize Retaliation Against Iranian Militias). There is no doubt that Israel could've carried out a low-tech/no-tech operation like this, which apparently involved two bags containing explosives left along the march route. Israel lifted a half-ton of highly classified files documenting Iran's nuclear weapons program from Tehran (Somehow Mossad Stole a Half-Ton of Iran's Nuclear Secrets and Netanyahu Is Showing Them on Television). It killed a prominent nuclear scientist in an escorted convoy (Mossad Whacks Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist, Joe Biden's Ability to Suck Up To Iran Hardest Hit). This would be child's play. And even though Israel will eventually be blamed, it isn't easy to see how this fits their modus operandi. In the attack on an Iranian-protected terrorist in Beirut yesterday (HUGE WIN: Israeli Drone Strike Takes Out Multiple Hamas Leaders Who Were Meeting in Lebanon), Israel avoided killing anyone other than the targets. 

The most likely suspects are anti-regime activists who have been protesting for about five years against the Islamist terrorist ruling in Tehran.

READ MORE:

Anti-Regime Protests Spread Across Iran – RedState

This Is Real Bravery: Watch Iranians Rise up Against the Mullahs

In Horrific Move, Iran's Parliament Votes to Execute 15,000 Protestors to Teach 'Hard Lesson' 

But that will not fit into the narrative the Iranian government will want to push.