The attack is the most serious since 2005. Provisional toll of 23 dead and 146 injured. The blast comes a day after the summit in Geneva on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Beirut ( AsiaNews / Agencies) -  23 people were killed and 146 injured in the double suicide bombing at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut this morning, the most serious attack to hit the country since the 2005 assassination of then Prime Minister Rafik Hairi . Among the dead was Sheikh Ibrahim Ansari, cultural attaché to the Iranian embassy . So far no one has claimed responsibility. The Lebanese army report that two launched themselves at the building: the first on board a motorcycle and the other in a SUV . However, the dynamics of the attack point to groups affiliated with al - Qaeda. Shortly after the attack Sirajeddi Zreikat , a member of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, tweeted that " this is a double martyrdom operation carried out by two Lebanese Sunni heroes." Zreikat warns that the attacks will continue until the guerrillas of the Shiite movement Hezbollah withdraw from Syria. The Islamic extremist leader also calls for the release of Azzam Brigades guerrillas from Lebanese prisons.

What happened in Beirut has already triggered the reaction of Iran and Hezbollah both committed to supporting the troops of Syrian President Bashar al -Assad against Islamist insurgents . Speaking on the Shiite al- Manar TV, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi, who survived the attack , pointed the finger at Israel and Saudi Arabia, accusing them of having ordered the attack. Tzachi Hanegbi , member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence committee rejects the accusations and said that "Israel has nothing to do with such acts."

The attack on the Iranian embassy arrives the day after a summit between Tehran and members of the Security Council plus Germany and Iran on the nuclear issue during negotiations between Syria, Russia and Western countries for the organization of the peace conference in Geneva II .

The Geneva talks on the nuclear issue will open tomorrow after the partial failure of the meeting held on 8 November following France's veto to the definition of a basic agreement . The Obama administration is trying to give confidence to the openings made ​​by the new reformist Iranian President Hassan Rouhani , an attitude that has aroused strong criticism and is opposed by Israel and Saudi Arabia who are against any agreement with the Shiite state . This week Obama will try to convince Congress not to vote to impose new economic sanctions against Iran. Last week, John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State , warned the deputies that imposing further restrictions may isolate Washington from members of the 5 +1, who are favorable to an agreement with Iran. For Robert Einhorn , a former member of the U.S. negotiating team , tougher sanctions would quash any opportunity to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear issue .

The partial uncertainty of the United States and the change of direction of France have cooled the initial opening of the Iranian government . Yesterday in a phone call to Russian President Putin, Rohuani pointed out that "the recent talks in Geneva made good progress, but excessive demands could complicate the achievement of an agreement ."

 

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• iran
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• qaeda
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• hezbollah