Condemnations pour in – the US denies involvement
The UN, EU, Russia, Iraq and Jordan were quick to condemn the bombing in Iran on Wednesday, AFP reports.
"This act of terrorism has claimed a shocking number of civilian deaths and injuries," the EU's foreign affairs department wrote in a statement.
Russia's Vladimir Putin addressed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei directly with his condolences, calling the attack a "shocking atrocity."
At the same time, the US State Department rejects speculation that the US or its ally Israel had anything to do with the matter.
- The US was not involved in any way. We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
At least 103 people were killed in two separate explosions in connection with a memorial ceremony to honor the slain top general Qassem Soleimani in the city of Kerman.
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Hezbollah leader: "We are not afraid of war"
The leader of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, says in a speech that the murder of Saleh al-Arouri, the Hamas stop, was a "big and dangerous" crime. He also warns Israel against starting an armed conflict with Lebanon.
- If the enemy thinks of waging a war against Lebanon, we will fight without restraint, without rules, without borders and without restrictions, says Nasrallah according to AFP.
- We are not afraid of war.
Israel has not wanted to comment on the attack on a Hamas premises outside Beirut on Tuesday, where al-Arouri, among others, was.
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Analysis: War clouds over the Middle East – anything can happen
Dark clouds of war are gathering over the Middle East as tensions rise in the region, writes Al Jazeera political analyst Marwan Bishara.
In addition to the war between Israel and Hamas and Wednesday's bombings in Iran, Bishara mentions the conflict in the Red Sea, crisis-stricken Yemen and tensions on the border between Iran and Iraq.
"Anything can happen in this region. There is so much pent-up violence, so much pent-up tension, so many conflicts and so much movement," he writes.
The war clouds have also darkened with the killing of the high-ranking Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon, writes the BBC's Lyse Doucet.
"Hezbollah and Hamas will have to act, and make sure it is felt," she writes.
However, Middle East researcher Isabell Schierenbeck believes that an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah can be avoided.
- For various reasons, Iran and Hezbollah have not stepped in more forcefully than they did after October 7. And I find it difficult to see that people are willing to change that strategy, she tells SVT Nyheter.
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The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
Trial after the earthquake is underway - the first of its kind
Eleven people are facing charges in Turkey in the aftermath of last year's earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people. The BBC writes.
They are suspected of having violated the country's building regulations and the prosecution is the first connected to the disaster in Turkey and neighboring Syria.
The case concerns a hotel which at the time was home to a school-age volleyball team. 72 people died when the hotel collapsed and among the victims was also a large group of tour guides.
160,000 buildings collapsed or were seriously damaged in the earthquakes barely a year ago.
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