Iran's new minister of interior, the hardliner Ahmad Vahidi, did not immediately attribute blame for the attack and no side claimed responsibility for the deadliest single terrorist incident since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The US state department said it had no reason to believe that Israel was involved.
An early death toll of 103 was revised down [to 95], but Iran's health minister, Bahram Einollahi, said many of the wounded were in critical condition, and the death toll could rise.
The attack could not have come at a more febrile moment in the Middle East. Fighting between Hamas and Israel continues to rage in Gaza, and Hamas accused Israel of launching a drone attack on Tuesday that killed its deputy head in Beirut. That attack saw limited casualties in a densely populated neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital.
Israel's hallmark is the targeted assassination of key military and scientific figures inside Iran, as opposed to mass terrorist attacks on civilians, but it has also said its rules of engagement have changed in response to the Hamas killings on 7 October, for which Israel holds Iran ultimately responsible.
Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, responded by saying: "The enemies of the nation should know that such actions can never cause a disturbance in the iron determination of the Iranian nation to defend Islamic ideals."
He added that the attacks only made Iran more determined "to dry up the roots of terror and violence". Iran has shown no desire to become directly embroiled in fighting Israel, preferring instead to provide support to proxy groups.
"We are adjusting the fighting methods to each area in Gaza, as well as the necessary forces to carry out the mission in the best way possible. Each area has different characteristics and different operational needs.He says the military will be carrying out "smart" management of the forces in Gaza, allowing reservists to return home to help bounce back the economy, and letting standing army troops train to become commanders.
"Tonight, 2024 will begin. The goals of the war require lengthy fighting, and we are prepared accordingly."
"We are continuing the training of officers and commanders... after their experience in combat, they are returning to training and will join the army's line of commanders when they finish. Some of the reservists will return to their families and work this week."
"Now is an important time for whistleblowers to send documents to WikiLeaks."However, Assange shared his regret that WikiLeaks is no longer able to expose war crimes and corruption as in the past. He believes that the U.S. government's war on WikiLeaks has had a considerable impact in convincing whistleblowers to steer clear of submitting documents to the organization. Assange is also afraid that "other media outlets are not filling the vacuum."
Comment: Whilst the vast majority of people in the West have mostly tried to ignore the encroaching totalitarian nature of their governments, with draconian action such as this, on a topic that is, increasingly, bringing people together in horror, the state risks revealing its sinister intentions, and compelling more people to push back.