Iranian officials claimed Monday that they had evidence of American and British involvement in the country’s worst suicide bombing attacks in years.
The United States condemned the bombings and denied any connection with them. “We condemn this act of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives,” said Ian C. Kelly, a State Department spokesman. “Reports of alleged U.S. involvement are completely false.”
The British government rejects “in the strongest terms” allegations that it aided rebels, a foreign office spokesperson told Reuters Monday.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini on Monday also blamed the United States for the devastating suicide bombing , ISNA news agency reported.
"This terrorists' crime revealed the evil face of enemies of security and unity who are supported by intelligence organizations of some arrogant governments," he said, a reference to the US.
"The powerful hand of the Islamic government will punish the invaders of people’s security for their treacherous actions," he vowed.
The Baluchi insurgent group Jundallah — or Soldiers of God — took responsibility for the bombings, which included a suicide attack on a community meeting led by Revolutionary Guards and a roadside attack on a car full of Guards, both in the area of the city of Pishin
The Iranian official Fars news agency reported Monday that the attacks killed 42 people and wounded 28 others. It was unclear how many civilians were killed, but several tribal leaders were among the dead, other official media reports said.
In Lebanon Hezbollah group which was created by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, condemned the suicide bombing and so did Amal, another Shiite group headed by Speaker Nabih Berri.
In a related development Yemen president Ali Abdullah Saleh said that the Shiite northern rebels appear to have gone through combat training similar to that of Lebanon's Iranian-backed Shiite Hezbollah militia.
"They have been trained in the same manner as Hezbollah in South Lebanon," he said, pointing to unconfirmed reports of the presence of "trainers from southern Lebanon in Saada," the rebels' stronghold.
Egyptian authorities had earlier accused Hezbollah of setting up terror cells in Egypt to disrupt its tourism industry
Obviously there is great concern within the Sunni community that Iran and its allies are trying to export trouble to their countries . Whether the suicide attack by the Jundallah Sunni group is related to Hezbollah and other Iranian foreign disruptive activities is not clear yet
Monday
9:00pm Iran has threatened retaliation against Britain and America after claiming their intelligence services masterminded an attack on its Revolutionary Guard leadership.
8:30 pm Interior minister Baroud : Any further delay in forming the government will have dangerous repercussions on the internal situation
8:20pm Bishop Haddad to Al-Jadeed TV: Hizbullah is honest in helping to free Sader but it has to be more active.
8:05pm Hezbollah's MP Ali Fayad told Al Manar TV: We have questions regarding UNIFIL's role which is being concentrated on detecting the movement of the Lebanese while it should instead be focused on the Israeli movements.
7:55pm PM-designate Saad Hariri met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov for the second time during his visit to Lebanon. The two men discussed the developments in Lebanon and the region as well as bilateral ties.
7:45pm MP Walid Jumblat sent a cable to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that condemned the "terrorist bombing that targeted a group of Iranian Revolutionary Guards leaders".
7:20pm A trailer truck that slid at Kahaleh highway led to the injuring and killing of a score of people. It damaged as many as 12 cars according to initial reports due to brakes' malfunction. The security forces diverted the traffic towards Bsouss.
7:07pm An Israeli technical team protected by Israeli army forces reinstalled today a transmission pole at the peripheries of the Israeli Miskaf Aam settlement facing the Lebanese villages of: Odayssi, Taybeh, Rob Tlateen and Markaba.
6:35pm Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel after meeting the French ambassador: The new cabinet's Policy Statement has to embrace all Lebanese and to include an assertion of Lebanon's sovereignty over all of its territories.
6:30 pm AP: The Jundallah group claims it is fighting to defend the Sunni Baluchi clans against alleged discrimination and abuses by Iran's Shiite majority. The Baluchi historical territory includes portions of the three countries ( Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan), but Jundallah claims it is not seeking a separate homeland or to breakaway from Iran.
6:00pm VOA : The UN-backed commission investigating reports of fraud in Afghanistan's presidential election has ordered the country's Independent Election Commission (IEC) to invalidate results at 210 polling stations.
5:07pm Hariri calls for international action against Israel’s violations of Resolution 1701
5:00pm Caretaker Energy and Water Minister Alan Tabourian announced the arrival of natural gas from Egypt and the start of putting the first group at Deir Ammar power plant into work.
2:57pm Britain rejects "in the strongest terms" claim of involvement in Iran suicide attack on Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards near Iran's border with Pakistan.
2:00pm MP Chamoun: Those abiding by Syrian opinion are obstructing the cabinet formation
1:15pm Speaker Nabih Berri is meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov.
12:36pm As part of his farewell tour, Iranian ambassador Mohammed Riza Shibani met MP Michel Aoun.
12:20pm Italian ambassador Gabriel Ciccia from Bkirki: The Cabinet is an internal Lebanese affair and the picture is still not clear.
12:00pm MP Nabil de Freij told Future News: Cabinet Lineup will not be at the expense of the majority.
11:58 Caretaker PM Fouad Siniora held talks with Russian deputy FM Alexander Sultanov that tackled developments in Lebanon and the region.
11:34 Hezbollah: Uncovering espionage device is significant achievement for Resistance
11:15 Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir discussed latest developments with the Italian Ambassador.
10:39 Israel: Explosion in South Lebanon confirms Hezbollah’s presence along border
09:03 MP Aawar: No significant discussions were held on distribution of portfolios
8:40 caretaker Cabinet Minister Elie Marouni told VOL: Countdown began for the birth of a new government. A Cabinet lineup could be announced by week’s end. Phalange party is going to enjoy better representation and is likely to get a service portfolio
8:30 MP Butros Harb told VOL: Talks have taken a positive turn. The premier-designate’s position is firm: the telecoms ministry will remain Aoun’s.
07:50 Salhab: Telecommunications portfolio is not the only obstacle facing cabinet formation
Sunday
5:00 pm : Aoun will appear tomorrow at 9:30 pm on the Syrian Satellite channel العماد عون يطل to talk about the most recent developmnet over the government formation
4:12 pm MP Okab Sakr told New TV : The recent Saudi-Syrian summit removed some regional “mines” from the path to a new Lebanese government.
4:10pm Labor Minister Mohammed Fneish: We cannot accept a history book in Lebanon which accuses the resistance of terrorism. Some private schools deal with Lebanon's history influenced by Northern American politics.
3:20pm Deputy head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan: Lebanon must unite and hurry up in form