<p>India for the first time has officially conveyed to Iran that its nationals were being suspected to be involved in the bomb blast on a vehicle of the Israeli Embassy here last month.<br /><br /></p>.<p>New Delhi also asked Tehran to help bring the three persons responsible for the attack to justice and initiated the process to get the Interpol Red Corner Notices issued against them. The External Affairs ministry officials had a meeting on Friday with Iranian Ambassador to India, Mehdi Nabizadeh, in South Block here and briefed him about the progress of the investigation by the Delhi police.<br /><br />Soon after an Israeli embassy official Tal Yehoshua-Koren was injured in an explosion on her vehicle on February 13, Tel Aviv blamed “Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah” for the incident. New Delhi, however, was cautious and did not join Tel Aviv in blaming Tehran for the incident, ostensibly to avoid being sucked into Iran-Israel conflict.<br /><br />However, as the police probing the incident zeroed in on three Iranians, India apprised Iran about the progress in the investigation.<br /><br />“On the basis of thorough and carefully undertaken investigations, three Iranians have been identified by the investigating authorities as suspects in the terrorist attack. Warrants of arrest against these persons have been issued and the process of issue of red corner notices has been initiated,” said the official spokesman and Joint Secretary (external publicity) in the ministry, Syed Akbaruddin.<br /><br />Police investigations revealed that three Iranians – Houshang Afshar Irani, Syed Ali Mahdiansadr and Mohammadreza Abolghasemi – had surveyed the areas in and around the Israeli embassy ahead of the blast and they had been helped by Indian journalist Syed Mohd Ahmad Kazmi. Police arrested Kazmi from Delhi on March 6, but the Iranians had apparently left India soon after carrying out the blast.<br /><br />“We have informed the Iranian Ambassador of these developments so as to seek the co-operation of the Iranian authorities in bringing those involved in this dastardly attack to justice,” said Akbaruddin.<br /><br />New Delhi, however, did not clarify if the three suspects were non-state actors or they had any links with the Iranian government or any of its agencies. “Investigations in the case are ongoing and no conclusion can be drawn at this stage,” said the MEA spokesman.<br /><br />The Iranians’ suspected role in the attack on the Israeli vehicle came to light at a time when India is struggling to maintain the delicate balance in its traditional relation with Iran and long-standing commitment to the cause of Palestine with its growing ties with the US and the Jewish state.<br /><br />Last September, India ignored the frowns by the US and its allies in the West to support Palestine’s bid to get statehood recognition from the United Nations General Assembly.<br /><br />New Delhi, however, was cautious and did not join Tel Aviv in blaming Tehran for the incident, ostensibly to avoid being sucked into Iran-Israel conflict. However, as police probing the incident zeroed in on three Iranians, India apprised Iran about the progress in the investigation.<br /><br />“On the basis of thorough and carefully undertaken investigations, three Iranians have been identified by the investigating authorities as suspects in the terrorist attack. Warrants of arrest against these persons have been issued and the process of issue of red corner notices has been initiated,” said the official spokesman and Joint Secretary (external publicity) in the ministry, Syed Akbaruddin.<br /><br />Police investigations revealed that three Iranians – Houshang Afshar Irani, Syed Ali Mahdiansadr and Mohammadreza Abolghasemi — had surveyed the areas in and around the Israeli embassy ahead of the blast and they had been helped by Indian journalist Syed Mohd Ahmad Kazmi. Police arrested Kazmi from Delhi on March 6, but the Iranians had apparently left India soon after carrying out the blast.</p>
<p>India for the first time has officially conveyed to Iran that its nationals were being suspected to be involved in the bomb blast on a vehicle of the Israeli Embassy here last month.<br /><br /></p>.<p>New Delhi also asked Tehran to help bring the three persons responsible for the attack to justice and initiated the process to get the Interpol Red Corner Notices issued against them. The External Affairs ministry officials had a meeting on Friday with Iranian Ambassador to India, Mehdi Nabizadeh, in South Block here and briefed him about the progress of the investigation by the Delhi police.<br /><br />Soon after an Israeli embassy official Tal Yehoshua-Koren was injured in an explosion on her vehicle on February 13, Tel Aviv blamed “Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah” for the incident. New Delhi, however, was cautious and did not join Tel Aviv in blaming Tehran for the incident, ostensibly to avoid being sucked into Iran-Israel conflict.<br /><br />However, as the police probing the incident zeroed in on three Iranians, India apprised Iran about the progress in the investigation.<br /><br />“On the basis of thorough and carefully undertaken investigations, three Iranians have been identified by the investigating authorities as suspects in the terrorist attack. Warrants of arrest against these persons have been issued and the process of issue of red corner notices has been initiated,” said the official spokesman and Joint Secretary (external publicity) in the ministry, Syed Akbaruddin.<br /><br />Police investigations revealed that three Iranians – Houshang Afshar Irani, Syed Ali Mahdiansadr and Mohammadreza Abolghasemi – had surveyed the areas in and around the Israeli embassy ahead of the blast and they had been helped by Indian journalist Syed Mohd Ahmad Kazmi. Police arrested Kazmi from Delhi on March 6, but the Iranians had apparently left India soon after carrying out the blast.<br /><br />“We have informed the Iranian Ambassador of these developments so as to seek the co-operation of the Iranian authorities in bringing those involved in this dastardly attack to justice,” said Akbaruddin.<br /><br />New Delhi, however, did not clarify if the three suspects were non-state actors or they had any links with the Iranian government or any of its agencies. “Investigations in the case are ongoing and no conclusion can be drawn at this stage,” said the MEA spokesman.<br /><br />The Iranians’ suspected role in the attack on the Israeli vehicle came to light at a time when India is struggling to maintain the delicate balance in its traditional relation with Iran and long-standing commitment to the cause of Palestine with its growing ties with the US and the Jewish state.<br /><br />Last September, India ignored the frowns by the US and its allies in the West to support Palestine’s bid to get statehood recognition from the United Nations General Assembly.<br /><br />New Delhi, however, was cautious and did not join Tel Aviv in blaming Tehran for the incident, ostensibly to avoid being sucked into Iran-Israel conflict. However, as police probing the incident zeroed in on three Iranians, India apprised Iran about the progress in the investigation.<br /><br />“On the basis of thorough and carefully undertaken investigations, three Iranians have been identified by the investigating authorities as suspects in the terrorist attack. Warrants of arrest against these persons have been issued and the process of issue of red corner notices has been initiated,” said the official spokesman and Joint Secretary (external publicity) in the ministry, Syed Akbaruddin.<br /><br />Police investigations revealed that three Iranians – Houshang Afshar Irani, Syed Ali Mahdiansadr and Mohammadreza Abolghasemi — had surveyed the areas in and around the Israeli embassy ahead of the blast and they had been helped by Indian journalist Syed Mohd Ahmad Kazmi. Police arrested Kazmi from Delhi on March 6, but the Iranians had apparently left India soon after carrying out the blast.</p>
