Associated Press | August 5, 2010
by Ali Akbar Dareini
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran’s official news agency said Wednesday that an explosion near the president’s convoy was just an excited fan setting off fireworks, denying earlier reports of an assassination attempt.
A fan set off a firecracker similar to those used during sports matches to express his excitement at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to the western Iranian town of Hamedan, reported the IRNA news agency. The explosion near the president’s convoy had set off a flurry of media reports, including one that it was a handmade grenade.
The conservative Iranian website, khabaronline.ir, said a grenade exploded as the president’s convoy headed from the airport to the venue for the speech, but did not harm him.