An explosion near the Iranian president's convoy yesterday was just an excited fan setting off fireworks, the country's official news agency said, denying earlier reports of an assassination attempt.

A fan set off a firecracker similar to those used during sports matches to express his excitement at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to the western Iranian town of Hamedan, the IRNA news agency reported.

The explosion near the president's convoy had set off a flurry of media reports, including one saying it was a homemade grenade.

The conservative Iranian website, khabaronline.ir, said a grenade exploded as the president's convoy headed from the airport to the venue where he was due to speak, but did not harm him.

Ahmadinejad went on to give his speech as planned, and it was broadcast live on state television. He made no mention of the attack in his remarks, focusing instead on the country's disputed nuclear program.

One person was arrested in connection with the attack, the website report said, adding that Ahmadinejad's car was about 100 meters from the blast. It also said there was no information whether anyone was injured.

Homemade grenade

"The explosion caused a lot of smoke," the report said.

Ahmadinejad regularly tours the countryside to deliver speeches to grass-roots supporters across Iran.

The Fars news agency said a homemade grenade was thrown at the path where the president and his entourage had been but only after they had left the site.

The government-owned Borna news agency said somebody threw a firecracker after the convoy had passed, while the semiofficial Mehr news agency called it a percussion grenade.

The report from IRNA quoted an official in the governor's office saying the "firecracker did not hurt anyone and did no damage."

The president said on Monday that Israel had sent agents to assassinate him, but he gave no details.

In yesterday's speech Ahmadinejad struck a hard line against Western demands that Iran halt its nuclear activities. The United States and its alliesaccuse Iran of trying to develop atomic weapons, but Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

"It will be one of your big mistakes if you think you, resorting to lies and hue and cry, are able to achieve something and we will give you any concession," Ahmadinejad told the crowd at the Hamedan stadium.

• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• agency [´eidʒənsi] n.代理商；机构；代理 (初中英语单词)
• excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)
• western [´westən] a.西的；西方的 (初中英语单词)
• program [´prəugræm] n.说明v.为...安排节目 (初中英语单词)
• connection [kə´nekʃən] n.联系；关系；联运 (初中英语单词)
• accuse [ə´kju:z] vt.谴责；控告，告发 (初中英语单词)
• atomic [ə´tɔmik] a.原子的；原子能的 (初中英语单词)
• peaceful [´pi:sfəl] a.和平的；平静的 (初中英语单词)
• achieve [ə´tʃi:v] vt.完成；达到；获得 (初中英语单词)
• explosion [ik´spləuʒən] n.爆炸；爆发；发作 (高中英语单词)
• iranian [i´reiniən] a.伊朗的 n.伊朗人 (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
• conservative [kən´sə:vətiv] a.保守的 n.保守者 (高中英语单词)
• broadcast [´brɔ:dkɑ:st] v.&n.散布 a.广播的 (高中英语单词)
• regularly [´regjuləli] ad.有规律地；经常地 (高中英语单词)
• israel [´izreiəl] n.以色列 (高中英语单词)
• assassinate [ə´sæsineit] vt.暗杀，行刺 (高中英语单词)
• allies [´ælaiz, ə´laiz] n.协约国 (高中英语单词)
• setting [´setiŋ] n.安装；排字；布景 (英语四级单词)
• countryside [´kʌntrisaid] n.乡下，农村 (英语四级单词)
• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
• fireworks [´faiəwə:ks] n.爆竹，焰火 (英语六级单词)
• assassination [ə,sæsi´neiʃən] n.暗杀；暗杀事件 (英语六级单词)
• homemade [,həum´meid] a.自制的，本国制的 (英语六级单词)