Iran's Intelligence Minister says the Shiraz mosque bombers had plans to target a Russian consulate in the northern part of the country.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i announced that 15 people had been arrested in connection with the deadly explosion in a mosque in the southern city of Shiraz, adding that all detainees are Iranian nationals.

"Their next target was the Russian consulate general in Rasht. They obviously hoped that the explosion would strain Iran's relations with its neighbors," Mohseni-Eje'i stated.

The Iranian minister said the bombers were apparently trained by sources in the US and had been assured of a safe escape after the attack.

Mohseni-Eje'i ruled out any links between the Shiraz bombers and the Mujahedeen Khalq terrorist organization (MKO).

Iran announced on Tuesday that Britain, Israel and the United States were responsible for the deadly blast in Shiraz which killed 13 Iranians and injured more than 200.

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