Britain denies Iran's claims of assassinations link

guardian.co.uk

Iranian state media reports that four men allegedly paid by man based in UK to carry out five assassinations have been detained

Iran today accused Britain of links to assassinations by a banned Kurdish group – a charge vehemently denied as a "baseless" allegation.

It also publicly welcomed a US decision to label another anti-Iranian organisation as terrorist — a rare positive development in the troubled relationship between Tehran and Washington.

Iranian state media reported that four men it said were paid by a man based in the UK to carry out five assassinations in Kurdish areas had been arrested.

The Foreign Office dismissed the claim. "There is a long history of baseless Iranian allegations against the UK," a spokesman said. "This is just the latest."

Press TV quoted Iran's intelligence ministry as saying the four were arrested in the western city of Marivan and had confessed to receiving orders, in the Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya, from their commander Jalil Fattahi – now resident in Britain.

They claimed the men were promised $20,000 (£12,300) per murder, but had only received $8,000.

The TV channel linked the story to the recent statement by the head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, that intelligence-led operations were needed to prevent states "like Iran" from developing nuclear weapons.

The foreign office said: "The UK does not support or encourage terrorist activity in Iran or anywhere else, and this claim will be seen as what it is – another in a long line of slurs against the UK from the government of Iran."

The Home Office said it had no information about Fattahi, said by Press TV to be living in Birmingham after being granted asylum in the UK.

Kurdish sources said he was not known as a leader of Komala, a Kurdish militant group which is divided into rival factions that may have been penetrated by Iranian agents. The four men were said to have been arrested over a year ago.

In early September, Iranian security forces killed four Komala members in Kordestan province, which has seen clashes between security forces and Kurdish rebel groups operating from Iraq in recent years.

In May, Iran hanged four Kurds, including a woman, who were convicted of belonging to another outlawed Kurdish group, the PJAK.

The US decision to ban Jundollah (Soldiers of God), a Sunni Muslim group based in Pakistan, has been interpreted as a conciliatory gesture by Washington, despite its failure to improve relations with Tehran since Barack Obama's inauguration.

In Tehran, a foreign ministry spokesman described it as "a move in the right direction," adding: "Fighting terrorism is a general responsibility of all nations."

Iran has repeatedly accused the US of backing Jundollah. Media reports, citing former CIA officers, say there are links between the group and US intelligence. Washington denies the claims.

The US state department said: "Jundollah has engaged in numerous attacks resulting in the death and maiming of scores of Iranian civilians and government officials, primarily in Iran's Sistan and Balouchestan province.

"Jundollah uses a variety of terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings, ambushes, kidnappings and targeted assassinations."

The Jundollah leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, was captured in February and hanged in June. There was speculation at the time that the US had secretly helped Iran to seize him.

In July, the group claimed responsibility for two bomb attacks on a mosque, in which at least 27 people were killed.

Iran has been concerned that deteriorating security inside Pakistan could create sanctuaries for Jundollah and help it cooperate with Pakistani Baloch insurgents.

Earlier this year, responsibility for counter-terrorism in eastern Iran was transferred from the army and police to the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Analysts believe the US move may be intended to improve the atmosphere before a new round of negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme, the main source of tension between Tehran and Washington. Talks are expected to resume this month.

"That may explain the timing," one diplomat said – but a state department spokesman insisted the Jundollah decision was "not made to curry favour with the Iranians."