US condemns Iran attack, UAE denies allegations

NEW YORK/DUBAI — The United States on Sunday condemned the deadly attack on a military parade in Iran but said the country's clerical rulers needed to look at reasons for unrest, according to the Agence France-Presse.

Meanwhile, a senior United Arab Emirates official denied allegations alluding to the involvement of the UAE in the attack, Reuters reported.

"The United States condemns any terrorist attack anywhere, period. We've always stood by that," Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told CNN.

But she said of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani: "He has oppressed his people for a long time."

The "formal incitement against the UAE from within Iran is unfortunate, and has escalated after the Ahvaz attack," said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for the United Arab Emirates Anwar Gargash in a Tweet.

"The UAE's historical position against terrorism and violence is clear and Tehran's allegations are baseless."

"He needs to look at his own base to figure out where that's coming from. I think the Iranian people have had enough and that's where all of this is coming from."

At least 29 people were killed when suspected Arab separatists in southwestern Iran opened fire on Saturday on a parade commemorating the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Iran pinned the blame on an unnamed US-backed Gulf state for allegedly supporting the militants.

The attack, which is rare for Iran, was claimed by the Daesh group, which is made up of Sunni Muslim extremists staunchly opposed to the Shiite clerical state in Iran.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has piled pressure on Iran, with national security adviser John Bolton and other officials in the past calling for supporting anti-government forces within the country.

Haley, however, repeated the administration position: “We’re not looking to do a regime change in Iran or anywhere.”