Ayatollah Khamenei issued his message on Wednesday night hours after two explosions rocked a cemetery in Kerman, where huge crowds of people were attending a memorial service for Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the late Iranian commander who was assassinated in a US drone attack near Iraqi’s capital on January 3, 2020.  

The evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation once again caused a tragedy, leaving a large number of people martyred, the Supreme Leader said in his message.

He noted that the hard-hearted criminals could not stand people having respect and enthusiasm toward Martyr Qassem Soleimani. But, he added, they should realize that the followers of the “bright path” of Soleimani will not tolerate their vileness and crimes either.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the perpetrators will definitely be the target of a just punishment, and will receive a hard response for the tragedy they caused.

The Supreme Leader also expressed sympathy with the families of the victims of the attack.