Iran denies involvement in attack on author Salman Rushdie

In remarks that were the country’s first public comments about the attack, an Iranian official claimed Monday that Tehran was not involved in the attack on Salman Rushdie.

The comments by Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, were issued three days after the attack on Rushdie in New York state.

Iran denies having carried out any other attacks against dissidents abroad in the years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, Western governments and prosecutors have claimed that such attacks were directed at Tehran.

Kanaani: “In the incident of Salman Rushdie’s attack in the U.S.A., we don’t consider that anyone else deserves blame or accusations but him and his supporters.” said. “Iran is not to be accused in this way.”

Rushdie, 75 year old, was stabbed while attending an event at Western New York. His agent reported that he had a severed liver and nerves in one arm and one eye. said. He was likely to lose his injured eye.

His assailant, 24-year-old Hadi Matar of New Jersey, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the attack through his lawyer.

Over 30 years, the Nobel-winning author faced death threats for his novel The Satanic Verses Ayatollah Ruhollah Khameni, Iran’s former Supreme Leader, had issued a fatwa or Islamic edict requesting his death. The author was offered a bounty by an Iranian foundation of more than $3million.

Kanaani said that Iran didn’t have “any other information” than what was reported by American media.

Kanaani: The West condemns the actions and glorifies the insulter to Islamic beliefs. said.