‘Not guilty’ in Iran bomb plot

AN Iranian-American man who US officials say has links to Iran’s security forces pleaded not guilty in court last night to plotting to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington in a bomb attack.

Manssor Arbabsiar, 56, who was arrested on September 29 in New York, faces several charges including conspiracy to murder a foreign official, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism.

Another man, Gholam Shakuri, also was charged in the plot but is believed to still be in Iran.

US officials said he is a member of Iran’s Quds Force, the covert operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

US prosecutors accused the two men of planning to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the US, Adel al-Jubeir, by planting a bomb in a Washington restaurant. The Iranian government denies any involvement.