Israel Blames Iran, Hezbollah for Embassy Attacks

Posted February 13th, 2012 at 11:05 am (UTC-5)
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Israel has blamed Iran and the Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah for near-simultaneous bomb attacks on Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia that wounded four people, one critically.

Officials said the wife of Israel's defense attache and her driver were among the injured in New Delhi when assailants bombed an Israeli diplomat's car.

Georgian police safely defused the bomb that was planted in Tbilisi.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told members of his Likud party Monday that “Iran is behind these attacks,” and he called the Tehran government “the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world.” He linked the incidents to allegations of similar but foiled attacks in Thailand and Azerbaijan last month for which he said Iran and its “proxy” Hezbollah were responsible.

There was no claim of responsibility for Monday's bombings, but Iran's ambassador to India rejected Mr. Netanyahu's accusations as “sheer lies,” saying the Islamic Republic condemns all terrorist attacks.

Israel had put its foreign missions on high alert ahead of the February 12 anniversary of the 2008 car-bombing in Syria that killed Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh. The Lebanese militia blamed the assassination in Damascus on Israel and vowed revenge.