US tells Iran to 'look in the mirror' after Ahvaz attack
Washington, Sep 24: US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley has urged Iran to "look in the mirror" for the causes of an attack on a military parade that killed at least 29 people on Saturday.
Haley said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had "oppressed his people for a long time", BBC reported on Sunday.
She was responding to Rouhani's fierce criticism of the US, in which he blamed it for enabling the attack.
Two separate groups have claimed they carried out the shooting, but neither has provided evidence.
Four gunmen opened fire at Revolutionary Guard troops in the south-western city of Ahvaz on Saturday, killing 29 people people including soldiers and civilians watching a commemorative parade.
One of the victims was a four-year-old girl.
An anti-government Arab group -- Ahvaz National Resistance -- and the Islamic State (IS) group both claimed responsibility for the killings.
A video released by the Islamic State group's news agency, Amaq, shows three men in a car who appear to be dressed in Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) uniforms, possibly on their way to carry out the shooting.
The men do not identify themselves as members of IS in the video, but do talk about the importance of jihad.
Rouhani said the "bully" US, along with Gulf states it backed, had enabled the attack.
But the US has denied responsibility and says it condemns "any terrorist attack", while a senior official for the United Arab Emirates - one of the countries Rouhani was thought to be referring to - called the accusations "baseless".
"He's got the Iranian people... protesting, every ounce of money that goes into Iran goes into his military, he has oppressed his people for a long time and he needs to look at his own base to figure out where that's coming from," Haley told CNN.
"He can blame us all he wants. The thing he's got to do is look in the mirror."
Rouhani will face US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly this week.
Speaking on Sunday, before leaving for the UN in New York, Rouhani vowed that Iran would "not let this crime stand".
"It is absolutely clear to us who committed this crime... and whom they are linked to," he said.
He alleged that a Gulf country had supported the "financial, weaponry and political needs" of the attackers.
He added: "The small puppet countries in the region are backed by America, and the US is provoking them and giving them the necessary capabilities."
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Gold declines Rs 1,100 to Rs 1.64 lakh/10g; silver slips to Rs 2.71 lakh/kg
New Delhi (PTI): Gold prices declined Rs 1,100 to Rs 1.64 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Friday as traders booked profits at elevated levels for the second straight session, while silver also slipped to Rs 2.71 lakh per kilogram.
According to the All India Sarafa Association, the yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity depreciated Rs 1,100, or nearly 1 per cent, to Rs 1,64,100 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes).
Silver also fell Rs 600 to Rs 2,71,700 per kg (inclusive of all taxes) in the bullion market.
Analysts said traders locked in gains after the recent sharp rally in precious metal prices, even as global trends remained mixed.
"After opening with a gap up earlier in the week, both gold and silver gradually declined this week as a stronger US dollar and rising Treasury yields, along with reduced expectations for interest rate cuts by Federal Reserve, outweighed safe-haven demand stemming from the escalating Middle East conflict," Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.
He added that investors continued to exit gold-backed exchange traded funds (ETFs) this week, indicating softer investment demand.
"ETFs reduced their gold holdings by 93,479 troy ounces in the latest session, marking the fourth consecutive day of outflows -- the longest losing streak since February 6," Gandhi said.
However, in the international markets, bullion prices were trading higher on renewed safe-haven demand, with spot gold gaining USD 14.70, or 0.29 per cent, to USD 5,095.81 per ounce, while silver increasing 1.4 per cent to USD 83.40 per ounce.
Traders said escalating tensions in the Middle East continued to support precious metals, though profit-booking limited gains in the domestic markets.
"Gold and silver prices experienced notable fluctuations on Friday, driven primarily by ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and robust safe-haven buying," Gaurav Garg, Research Analyst at Lemonn Markets Desk, said.
These precious metals are gaining traction as investors seek refuge amid market volatility and rising crude oil prices, which surged to over USD 80 per barrel following the closure of Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, raising concerns about supply disruptions.
"The US stock market reacted negatively, with major indices like the Dow Jones and S&P 500 witnessing significant declines, further fuelling interest in gold and silver," Garg added.
Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst, Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, said investors are closely monitoring crucial macroeconomic indicators, including the unemployment rate and non-farm payrolls numbers scheduled to be released later in the day.
