Iran: Bombers of the Shiraz mosque trained by US

Iran: Suspected bombers plan to attack Russian consulate

2008/05/15 Mathaba

Iranian Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie said Wednesday suspected bombers of the Shiraz mosque had planned to attack a Russian consulate in northern Iran, the English language satellite news channel Press TV reported.

Ejeie announced that 15 people had been arrested in connection with the deadly explosion in a mosque in the southern city of Shiraz, adding that all detainees are Iranian nationals. "Their next target was the Russian consulate general in Rasht. They obviously hoped that the explosion would strain Iran's relations with its neighbors," Ejeie said.

The Iranian minister said the bombers were apparently trained by sources in the United States and had been assured of a safe escape after the attack. Iran's judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi said Tuesday that the arrested people "have confessed that they had links with foreigners, especially those of the United States and the UK." "The interference of foreigners, especially the United States and the U.K., is clear and they have trained and supported the terrorists financially," he added. The blast on April 12 ripped through a packed mosque during a prayer sermon in Shiraz, killing 13 people and wounding more than 200 others. Iran has blamed Western-backed dissidents for the bombing and threatened to take legal action against the United States and Britain over the deadly blast.