Dozens killed in Iran bombing

84 people have been killed in an attack in Kerman, southern Iran.

Crowds were marking the anniversary of spymaster Qasem Soleimani's assassination by the US when the bomb attack took place.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and an investigation has been launched to assess who was behind the attack.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has promised a harsh response: "Cruel criminals must know that they will be strongly dealt with from now on and undoubtedly there will be a harsh response."

Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020. He had been the second most powerful figure in Iran after the supreme leader.

According to Iranian media, the first bomb was detonated around 15:00 local time about 700m (2,300ft) from the Garden of Martyrs cemetery around the Saheb al-Zaman mosque and the second was about 15 minutes later around 1km away from the cemetery.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "The UK condemns the horrendous bombing in Kerman, Iran, yesterday which killed so many Iranians.

"Our thoughts and condolences to the families of those killed and injured."

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