Suicide bomber
October 19, 2009
In a statement released by the European Presidency in Sweden, the EU condemned Sunday's suicide bombing in Iran and expressed its condolences to the families of the victims.
The attack took place in the south-eastern part of the country as a meeting of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and tribal leaders got underway. A suicide bomber set off a belt of explosives, killing five senior Revolutionary Guard commanders and 37 tribal leaders.
Iran has said that a Sunni insurgent group known as Jundollah (God's soldiers) claimed responsibility for the attack. But the highest ranking official in Iran's Revolutionary Guard has accused Great Britain and the United States of involvement as well. Iran also believes the attackers are based in Pakistan.
"We were informed that some security agents in Pakistan are cooperating with the main elements of this terrorist incident," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, according to Iran's Fars news agency. "We regard it as our right to demand these criminals from them."
Pakistan and has offered its full support for an investigation.
Attack overshadows nuclear talks
The attack and its aftermath come at an inopportune time for western leaders hoping to make progress with Iran regarding its nuclear program. A two day meeting in Vienna got underway on Monday between Iran, France, Russia, and the United States at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Western nations have proposed a plan that would have Iran export low-grade uranium to Russia and France for further enrichment, rather than have Iran create its own medium-grade uranium. Iran says it needs the medium-grade uranium to run a medical reactor in Tehran. The West doesn't want Iran to create its own medium-grade uranium out of fears it could use it to develop a nuclear weapon.
Iran says it will increase enrichment if the talks in Vienna fail, and adds it will continue low-grade enrichment regardless of the meeting's outcome.
mz/Reuters/DPA/AP
Editor: Michael Lawton