Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday blamed Iran for a bomb blast which killed at least six Israeli tourists in the Bulgarian resort of Burgas. The Israeli response, Netanyahu promised, will be powerful.
"All the signs lead to Iran. Only in the past few months we have seen Iranian attempts to attack Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and other places," Netanyahu said in a statement.
"Eighteen years exactly after the blast at the Jewish community center in Argentina, murderous Iranian terror continues to hit innocent people. This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading throughout the entire world. Israel will react powerfully against Iranian terror," he said.
The bus, carrying mostly Israeli youth, exploded at the Sarafovo International Airport in the Bulgarian vacation city of Bourgas Wednesday. Witnesses told Israeli media that the huge blast occurred soon after someone boarded the loaded vehicle.
Images shown on Israeli media showed smoke billowing from the scene -- a parking lot at the airport where tourists had apparently just landed on flights from Israel.
President Obama issued a statement Wednesday afternoon on the Bulgarian bus bombing:
"I strongly condemn today’s barbaric terrorist attack on Israelis in Bulgaria. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured, and with the people of Israel, Bulgaria, and any other nation whose citizens were harmed in this awful event."
"These attacks against innocent civilians, including children, are completely outrageous. The United States will stand with our allies, and provide whatever assistance is necessary to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of this attack. As Israel has tragically once more been a target of terrorism, the United States reaffirms our unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people."
The White House declined to speculate on who was responsible for the attack in Wednesday's press briefing.
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