World | Iran Iran: What Grenade? That Was a Firecracker Government denies attack against Ahmadinejad By John Johnson Posted Aug 4, 2010 5:03 PM CDT Copied Smoke rises next to a vehicle transporting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, as he arrives in the city of Hamedan. (AP Photo/ISNA, Saman Aghvami) The official line coming out of Iran is that today's bang-and-smoke scare was a firecracker thrown to celebrate the arrival of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—not a grenade thrown to kill him. The semi-official Fars news agency, which first reported a homemade grenade near the president's motorcade, changed its tune, as did state-run TV, reports BBC. "An excited young man from Hamadan exploded a firecracker in order to express his happiness," said state news agency IRNA. "It did not cause any disturbance among the crowd which was giving a warm welcome to the president." An anonymous source in the president's office, however, tells Reuters that Ahmadinejad was indeed the target. Read These Next A family hike took a tragic turn in Arkansas on Saturday. White House makes Hegseth put his polygraph away. A new book argues the Sacagawea legend is all wrong. US denies visas to Venezuelan team bound for Little League tournament. Report an error