US not behind deadly blasts in Iran: State Department

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US on Wednesday denied allegations that Washington or Tel Aviv was behind the deadly attack in Iran where a ceremony was being held to commemorate a top Iranian general who was assassinated four years ago by the US in Iran.

"The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said during a daily press briefing.

"We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion," he added.

The explosions took place on a route leading to the cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman where Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, was laid to rest.

At least 103 people were killed, according to Sayyed Mohammad Saberi, head of the city's Emergency Organization.

Soleimani was killed on Jan 3, 2020 in a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport in Iraq.