Chemical attack planned during Iran unrest

Anti-Islamic Revolution groups had plans to plant numerous chemical bombs in different Iranian cities in the unrest that ensued the June election, says the country’s minister of science and technology.

Almost six weeks since the polls closed, Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi said that Iran’s intelligence forces had foiled a plot by anti-revolution groups to detonate 10 chemical bombs in different cities in the country.

“They also had plans to carry out chemical explosions in several locations in Tehran on the day of the election,” the Iranian minister added on Saturday.

After the June 12 vote, Iran witnessed widespread protests as supporters of defeated presidential candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi took to the streets to protest the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’ re-election with a massive margin.

At least 30 people were killed and hundreds of others injured in the protests staged by supporters of the opposition which dismisses the official election results as “fraudulent” and calls for its annulment.

Iranian authorities say foreign agents fueled the post-vote violence, causing the deaths.

On the issue, President Ahmadinejad’s minister added that these foreign agents also sought to brainwash the youth of the nation into launching a ‘velvet revolution’ in the country.

“This political movement started its preparations for overthrowing [the Islamic Republic] from nearly a year ago,” said Zahedi, adding that they also gave lessons to individuals from different walks of life to bring about the downfall of the establishment.

The minister also accused foreign powers of allocating $400 million to provoke instability in Iran.

The remarks come as leading opposition figure Mousavi earlier dismissed allegations of having any links to foreign elements.

“The justice-seeking and sacred movement has no links whatsoever to foreign elements and is completely domestic,” Mousavi said in remarks carried by the Ghalamnews website.

“Our nation is fully aware of the need to maintain our sovereignty,” he added. “The massive movement around the globe launched by Iranians living outside the country also underlined that our nation is aware of this need.”