Iran ready to help Thai blast probe

An Iranian spokesman on Tuesday stressed Tehran's preparedness to cooperate with Thailand's probe into the recent bombings in Bangkok, but meantime said that Israel is using the anti-Iran terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) to demonize Iran. "We have announced our preparedness to cooperate with Thailand so that the necessary investigations are conducted and the roots and elements involved in the activities are identified," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told reporters in his weekly press conference here in Tehran today. He further blamed the Zionist regime of Israel for the bombings, and said that Israel is using the terrorist MKO elements to portray a negative picture of Iran and defame the country. The foreign ministry presser further said that the MKO members who are under Iraq's pressure to leave the country have become a mercenary of Israel in operations against the Iranian nation. "Monafeqin (hypocrites, the MKO [the anti-Iran terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization] members as they are called in Iran) and Zionists have relations and coordination and share many incentives to harm our country and portray a negative image of Iran among the regional nations." Yesterday, Leader of Thailand's Shiite Muslims revealed that the four suspects of the recent bombing incidents in Bangkok are members of the MKO. Bangkok Post quoted the leader of Thailand's Shiite Muslims, Seyed Soleyman al-Hosseini, as saying that the four Iranian suspects of the Tuesday bomb blast in Bangkok are members of the deserted grouplet of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization. Last Tuesday, a man hurled a grenade at Thai police and a cab. The attacker was injured seriously in the blast. Bangkok police said they found Iranian identification documents on the maimed man. Earlier in the day, a house rented by three men, who police say were Iranians, exploded when a cache of explosives reportedly went off by accident. Soon afterwards, there was a third blast on a nearby road, Thai police said. The three explosions in Bangkok happened a day after bomb attacks targeted Israeli embassy staff in India and Georgia. Iran condemned the terrorist blasts in Thailand's capital city, and took Israeli agents responsible for the attack, rejecting Israel's allegations that Tehran was behind the explosions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier accused Iran of orchestrating the attacks. Iran has rejected the accusation as baseless and a publicity ploy, adding that they are part of Tel Aviv's psychological warfare against the Islamic Republic. A senior Iranian diplomat blasted Israel for its baseless allegations about Iran's involvement in the recent terrorist attacks, and said the regime itself is the main suspect behind the blasts. "If we follow the issue closely and wisely, we'll find out who is behind the scenario," Iranian Ambassador to Thailand Majid Bizmark said in an interview with the local daily the Nation, adding that the main suspect is the Zionists (Israelis). Iran has dismissed the allegations that the culprits hold an Iranian nationality, saying that the ID cards found at the scene of the explosion could be a setup by Israeli agents.