Iran said on Tuesday it had arrested 12 people over a deadly mosque bombing in April in the southern city of Shiraz who had confessed to being trained and financed by the United States and Britain. "So far 12 people involved in this terrorist incident have been arrested, who are the main agents," judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi said, vowing that those convicted would be sentenced to the "harshest punishment." "The arrested people... clearly confessed to having links with foreigners, especially the UK and the United States," he told a news conference.

"They had received training from foreigners to make bombs. It has become clear and transparent through bank accounts that foreigners gave financial support to the terrorists. "These things have become clear and they admitted to these things," he added. Jamshidi said the detainees had been arrested with explosives and bomb-making material and that they intended to carry out bombings in other crowded places.