Tehran has vowed revenge for the killing of its
scientists, which it has blamed on Israel, and Hezbollah
has vowed to avenge the slaying of its leader,
considered a mastermind of some of the group’s deadliest
attacks.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the
incidents, but Israeli officials said they appeared to have been
directed by Iran, and they warned that if the Islamic republic
becomes a nuclear power, it could provide greater protection for
militant groups that would be emboldened by its support. Iran
denied responsibility for the bombing attempts, calling them an
Israeli provocation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited places where
he said attacks on Israelis and Jews had recently been foiled,
including
Thailand and
Azerbaijan, and he accused Tehran of orchestrating Monday’s
plots, calling Iran “the greatest exporter of terrorism in the
world.”
“In all these cases, the elements behind the attacks were
Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said. “We will
continue to act with a strong hand, systematically and
patiently, against international terrorism, whose source is
Iran.”
In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney was more
cautious, saying that the United States had “no information yet
on who is responsible for these attacks” and adding, “We have
not made a judgement yet.”
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a
condemnation of the bombing incidents, calling them acts of
terrorism, but she avoided any accusation of responsibility.
The United States is leading
a global push for sanctions that it hopes will force Iran to
suspend its uranium-enrichment program, while urging caution on
Israel, which is
weighing a preemptive strike against Iranian nuclear
facilities. The United States, Israel and others suspect that
Iran is trying to acquire the material and technology needed to
build a nuclear weapon. Iran, however, says its nuclear program
is aimed only at producing energy and medical isotopes.
‘Psychological warfare’
Iran’s ambassador to India, Mehdi Nebizadeh, said Iran played
no role in Monday’s attack in New Delhi.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast,
said Israel was behind the bombing incidents, which he said were
intended to “tarnish Iran’s friendly ties with the host
countries” and wage “psychological warfare against Iran,”
according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. “Iran
condemns terrorism,” the spokesman added.