Iran on Saturday hardened its denial of involvement in a thwarted assassination plot in Washington, with its supreme leader slamming the US accusations as “absurd” and without effect.
The remarks — the first direct response by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — came as Iran’s government again urged Saudi Arabia to be wary over the plot claims that Iranian officials tried to contract a Mexican drug cartel to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
The US government is rallying other nations to its bid to further isolate Iran over the plot and has provided allies with details its says prove the outlandish assassination bid was genuine. US President Barack Obama on Thursday warned Iran would be held to account over the alleged plot, which he described as part of a pattern of “dangerous and reckless” behaviour by Tehran. Iran’s strenuous denials of involvement, made ever since the alleged plot was made public Tuesday, were capped Saturday with Khamenei’s speech.