Ahmadinejad escapes unharmed from assassination attempt

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was uninjured in a failed assassination attempt on his convoy in western Iran.

A handmade explosive device struck one of the cars in his convoy Wednesday, injuring several journalists, according to the Al Arabiya television network.

Reuters reported that an official from Ahmadinejad’s office later confirmed the bomb attack and said a man was arrested in connection.

Another Ahmadinejad official denied that it was an assassination attempt, saying the explosion was caused by a firecracker, according to the French news agency AFP and the Iranian Press TV.

Ahmadinejad was traveling from an airport in the western city of Hamadan to give a speech in a sports arena, which was broadcast live on national television.