Iran’s intelligence chief blames UK for October bombings

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Nov. 10 – Iran has finally proven the role of the United Kingdom in a spate of deadly bombings in the south-western city of Ahwaz in October, the country’s intelligence chief told reporters in the eastern province of Khorrasan Jonoubi. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Nov. 10 – Iran has finally proven the role of the United Kingdom in a spate of deadly bombings in the south-western city of Ahwaz in October, the country’s intelligence chief told reporters in the eastern province of Khorrasan Jonoubi.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ezhei, a radical Shiite cleric who runs Iran’s dreaded secret police, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), said that all those responsible for carrying out the bombings had been arrested and had direct links to Britain.

“All the elements behind the bombings and disruptions in Ahwaz have been identified and arrested. The cases against some of them after being completed in the Ministry of Intelligence and Security were sent to the judiciary and are in their final stages”, Ezhei said.

“Some of those arrested are still at the disposal of the Intelligence Ministry for further questioning and interrogation”, the intelligence chief said.

“Some of these networks had direct links to foreign elements including the British government”, he added.

A string of top government officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have hinted at a British government role in the Ahwaz bombings, which followed a spate of popular uprising in the volatile province that left dozens of residents killed or wounded. London has repeatedly denied any involvement.

Iran has also blamed Canada for a spate of bombings in Ahwaz earlier this year. Tehran has not produced any documents yet to substantiate its charges against London and Ottawa.

Ezhei also blamed American presence in Afghanistan for an increased use of Iranian territory as a transit route for drug smuggling.