Iranian FM spokesman condemns bomb blasts in US

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast condemned the recent bomb explosions in the US city of Boston that killed and injured tens of people.Two explosions rocked the Boston Marathon on Monday killing three people and injuring more than 138 others."The Islamic Republic strongly condemns any measure that endangers the lives of innocent people," Mehman-Parast said late Tuesday.Mehman-Parast described the deadly incident as a "source of sorrow", calling for greater global efforts to eradicate terrorism."We believe that all governments must try to maintain tranquility and security for all individuals. Acts of extremism and terrorism should be uprooted in the world and no effort should be made to justify violence," he added.Meantime, Mehman-Parast criticized the Western countries for supporting extremist groups for the sake of their own political interests."Allowing terrorist groups to operate, and delisting them from the blacklist of terrorist organizations under the pretext of supporting freedom will eventually lead to instability and disorder, and will affect all people," the Iranian diplomat said, criticizing the Western governments for backing the anti-Iran terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as MEK, PMOI and NCRI).Last week, the family members of the victims of the MKO attacks in a letter to US President Barack Obama condemned the Washington for sheltering the MKO members and opening an office for the terrorist group near the White House.In their letter, Edalat (Justice) Society - an organ of the families of the Iranian victims of terrorism - described the move as flagrant violation of the UN resolutions against terrorism and a means encouraging the spread of terrorism and violence."The MKO in precise term is a terrorist cult," the letter said."The group is badly isolated and they have no contact with any Iranian group and are not at all credited by the public opinion in Iran," it added.Edalat Society warned Obama of the consequences of supporting terrorist groups, including the MKO, cautioning that Washington's backup for the terrorist group is a blatant violation of the international rules and the UN resolutions.The US recently allowed the MKO to open its Washington office just a block away from the White House.The opening of the office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an umbrella group dominated by the MKO, was attended by several former US officials.The MKO, founded in the 1960s, blended elements of Islamism and Stalinism and participated in the overthrow of the US-backed Shah of Iran in 1979. Ahead of the revolution, the MKO conducted attacks and assassinations against both Iranian and Western targets.The group started assassination of the citizens and officials after the revolution in a bid to take control of the newly-established Islamic Republic. It killed several of Iran's new leaders in the early years after the revolution, including the then President, Mohammad Ali Rajayee, Prime Minister, Mohammad Javad Bahonar and the Judiciary Chief, Mohammad Hossein Beheshti who were killed in bomb attacks by MKO members in 1981.