Bomb Was Cause of Explosion In Iran Mosque, Official Say

TEHRAN — An April 12 explosion that killed 13 people at a mosque in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz was caused by a bomb, said the Intelligence Ministry, which accused the six suspects of having ties to Western nations, including America and Britain.

The main suspect was arrested "during an attempt to leave the country," the intelligence minister, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, was cited as saying Wednesday by the official Islamic Republic News Agency. The man was armed, the minister said. Five other people, found with explosives and cyanide, also were detained in connection with the bombing, he said. All are Iranian, he said. The suspects "have ties to the U.S. and the U.K.," Mr. Mohseni Ejei said. "Iran's Foreign Ministry had previously notified these countries but no action was taken to prevent their terrorist actions and they were instead supported," he said.