US vows of reprisals against Iran as plot to assassinate envoy is foiled

Britain last night pledged backing for United States reprisals against Iran, following an apparent assassination plot in Washington.

Downing Street said Tehran should be “held accountable”, amid claims that government factions were involved in a plan to kill the Saudi ambassador.

The US authorities announced yesterday that two Iranian nationals had been charged with offences including conspiracy to murder a foreign official.

Manssor Arbabsiar, who is in custody in New York, and his alleged co-conspirator, Gholam Shakuri, who is said to be in Iran, are believed to have planned the attack in a restaurant frequented by ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir.

US authorities quickly let it be known that the planned attack on US soil was being taken very seriously and that reprisals could be expected.

The plot was apparently uncovered by a US agent posing as part of a Mexican drugs cartel, who was enrolled by the suspects to help in the assassination plot.

The alleged plotters were named as Arbabsiar and Shakuri in a criminal complaint unsealed in a federal court in New York yesterday.

Court documents identified Shakuri as a member of the Quds Force, a branch of the Revolutionary Guard. The complaint alleged he approved the plan to kill the Saudi ambassador in phone calls to Arbabsiar.

Arbabsiar allegedly paid $100,000 (£64,000) to an informant for the murder of Saudi ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir.

US attorney general Eric Holder told a press conference: “The criminal complaint unsealed today exposes a deadly plot directed by factions of the Iranian government to assassinate a foreign ambassador on US soil with explosives.

“Through the diligent and co-ordinated efforts of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, we were able to disrupt this plot before anyone was harmed.”

Secretary of state Hillary Clinton said the US was preparing new penalties against Iran, including financial sanctions against individuals.

She said: “This really, in the minds of many diplomats and government officials, crosses a line that Iran needs to be held to account for.

“The idea that they would attempt to go to a Mexican drug cartel to solicit murder-for-hire to kill the Saudi ambassador, nobody could make that up, right?

“With this very strong case that we have presented today, it will give us extra leverage in dealing with Iran. This is just a blatant violation of the international norms that countries which have tried to hedge to some extent are going to find more pressure on them.”

A Downing Street spokesman said: “We congratulate the US authorities on the successful operation to disrupt a conspiracy to attack diplomats in the United States. Indications that this plot was directed by elements of the Iranian regime are shocking.

“Directing an attack against another country is a flagrant violation of international law, which calls for the strongest condemnation.

“The United Kingdom is in close touch with the US authorities on this case. We will support measures to hold Iran accountable for its actions.”

Tehran has reportedly dismissed the allegations, with a spokesman for president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad branding them a “fabrication”.

Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Press TV: “Iran strongly denies the untrue and baseless allegations over a plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington.

“It is a comedy show fabricated by America.”

He said Iran’s relationship with Saudi Arabia would not be harmed: “Our relationship with Riyadh is based on mutual respect, and such baseless claims will not succeed.”