The Islamic State claimed responsibility on Thursday for the bombing attack that killed 84 people in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday, according to a post on the extremist group’s official Telegram account.

On Telegram, the group called it a “dual martyrdom operation”, and described how two militants approached a commemoration ceremony at the tomb of Major General Qassim Suleimani and detonated explosive belts strapped to their bodies “near the grave of the hypocrite leader”, referring to General Suleimani. The general, a widely revered, and feared, Iranian military and security leader, was assassinated four years ago in an American drone attack.

The statement identified the two attackers as Omar al-Mowahid and Sayefulla al-Mujahid.

The Islamic State announcement dovetailed with US intelligence assessments, which indicated that the attack was most likely the work of the Islamic State, according to four US officials. Some Iranian leaders had initially appeared to blame Israel for the attack, stoking fears that the war in Gaza would widen into a regional conflict. But western officials had cast doubt on that theory.