Iran denies involvement in assassination of Saudi ambassador to U.S.

(Xinhua)

10:01, October 22, 2012

TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has denied that the Iranian government had been involved in a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States last year, Tehran Times daily reported Sunday.

In October, 2011, the U.S. authorities said that Manssor Arbabsayar, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen, holding both Iranian and U. S. passports, had been charged with participation in a plot to murder the Saudi ambassador to the United States.

Mehmanparast's remarks came after Arbabsayar admitted in the New York federal court Wednesday that he was involved in an attempt to assassinate the Saudi envoy in a restaurant in Washington. He also said some Iranian military officials played a role in the plot.

Mehmanparast dismissed the story as "laughable", noting that the United States is using its judicial system as a "tool" to devise "crude" scenarios against other countries, according to Tehran Times.

The Iranian spokesman said that the confessions allegedly made by the detainee show the psychological pressures used in U.S. prisons, semi-official Fars news agency reported Sunday.

"This ridiculous scenario was developed by the U.S. authorities a year ago... Some U.S. officials and political analysts also termed it as unreal and similar to Hollywood scenarios," Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by Fars.

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