Iran’s Interior Ministry announced on Friday afternoon that it had made the first arrests in connection with Wednesday’s attack, the deadliest attack on the country’s soil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Reuters reported.

The victims of the attack in Kerman were buried in coffins wrapped in the flag of IranPhoto: Vahid Salemi / AP / Profimedia

“The qualified intelligence services of our country have found very good clues about the elements involved in the terrorist bombings in Kerman, and some of those who played a role in this incident have been arrested,” Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi said in an intervention on public television.

He did not provide more information, limiting himself to clarifying that it is about several people.

His comments came after General Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, threatened those responsible earlier in the day that “we will find you wherever you are.” He announced this at the funeral of the dead.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack Thursday night in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman, where thousands of people gathered to mark four years since the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport. The Islamic State group said two of its members detonated explosive belts at a crowd gathered at a cemetery in Kerman on Wednesday.

Iran promises to act “at the appropriate time” against those responsible for the attack

“Our enemies see the strength of Iran, and the whole world knows about our strength and capabilities. Our forces will decide when and where to act,” President Raisi also said in a televised address on Friday.

Iranian television broadcast images showing a compact crowd at the Imam Ali religious center in Kerman, where families of the victims had gathered to mourn their dead. Their coffins were wrapped in the Iranian flag.

Despite the fact that the “Islamic State” claimed responsibility for the attack, those present chanted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” in addition to “Revenge, Revenge.”

Iranian authorities, which initially blamed the United States and Israel for the attack, say 95 people were killed in explosions in Kerman on Wednesday.