Missed Me!

There have been wild rumors reports flying around and out of Iran for the past few hours.  Was there an crude attempt on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's life, or is it just rumor?  You decide.

Report 1:  Jerusalem Post

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the target of a failed assassination attempt on Wednesday in the city of Hamedan in western Iran.

A handmade grenade struck one of the vehicles in a convoy accompanying the Iranian president. Ahmadinejad was not injured in the attack.

The vehicle carried journalists covering Ahmadinejad, several of whom were injured in the incident, television station Al Arabiya reported.

The blast took place in Hamedan as Ahmadinejad was about to address a crowd. He gave his speech as planned and it was broadcast live on state TV.

A source in Iran's presidential office denied the reports of the assassination attempt, Press TV reported.

Conservative Iranian website khabaronline.ir reported that one person was arrested in connection with the attack.

The Iranian president's car was about 100 meters away from the site of the blast, according to the report.

Report 2:  New York Times

TEHRAN — Iran rigorously denied reports on Wednesday that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been the target of a grenade attack.

Press TV, the state-run satellite broadcaster, quoted an unidentified “informed source” in the presidential office as saying the reports were false.

“Some foreign news sources published reports that a grenade exploded near the motorcade of President Ahmadinejad during his visit to the western city of Hamedan on Wednesday,” Press TV said. “The source denied the allegation, saying no such attack had happened.”

The denial came amid a confusing series of reports and rumors sweeping Tehran.

Earlier, Reuters quoted an unidentified source in President Ahmadinejad’s office as confirming that the Iranian president’s motorcade had come under an attack on Wednesday but he had escaped unharmed.

The source was quoted as saying that a homemade explosive device had exploded as the president was traveling from an airport in Hamedan to give a speech in a sports arena. One person had been arrested, according to the source quoted by Reuters.

William Yong reported from Tehran and Alan Cowell from London

If this was an attempt on Monkeyman's life, it was a very amateur attempt at best.  But what it really means is that the Green Revolution has gone from non-violent to violent.  Probably in response to the violence that was inflected upon the opposition during the upheaval of June 2009.