Iran: US Remarks on President-Elect's Past Unfounded

Voice of America News:

Iran has rejected as "unfounded" U.S. accusations linking President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the 1979 take-over of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. A foreign ministry spokesman said late Friday that Mr. Ahmadinejad played no role in the embassy seizure. READ MORE

He added that U.S. comments just days before Mr. Ahmadinejad takes office stem from what he termed "U.S. disillusionment with Iran's independent policies."

On Thursday, a White House spokesman said officials believe Mr. Ahmadinejad was a leader in the student movement that organized the embassy takeover.

Some former U.S. hostages insist the president-elect was one of the actual hostage-takers, but a CIA analysis of an old photo at the U.S. embassy has concluded the man pictured holding hostages is not Mr. Ahmadinejad.