UPDATE: Putin has confirmed the trip will go ahead in spite of the plot. More here from the Associated Press.
No word on who might employ the would-be bombers, but the Iranian government is plenty indignant about the allegation.
“Russia divulges Putin assassination plot,” by Lynn Berry for the Associated Press:
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has been told about a plot to assassinate him during a visit to Iran this week, a Kremlin spokeswoman said Sunday.
The spokeswoman, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, refused further comment.
Interfax news agency, citing a source in Russia’s special services, said suicide terrorists had been trained to carry out the assassination.
A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, denied any such plot had been uncovered, characterizing the news as disinformation spread by Iran’s adversaries.
“These sort of reports are completely baseless and in direction with psychological operations of enemies of relations between Iran and Russia,” Hosseini said in a statement.
More from “Doubts surface about Putin’s Iran trip,” by Vladimir Isachenkov for the Associated Press:
TEHRAN, Iran – Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared ready to cancel his first trip to Iran following reports about a possible assassination attempt “” a move that would badly strain Moscow’s relations with Tehran.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Tehran that he couldn’t confirm that Putin would arrive in the Iranian capital late Monday as earlier scheduled.
“There is no information that the visit is still planned,” Peskov told The Associated Press. He refused to elaborate, but the statement was a strong signal that Putin may cancel his visit. Just a few hours before, Peskov said that Putin’s plan to arrive on Monday evening still held. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also said earlier Monday that Putin’s visit was still scheduled.
If Putin cancels his trip, it would anger Iranian officials, who have rejected reports about the assassination plot. Iranian officials had no immediate comment on Peskov’s statement.