Khamenei blast claimed

The office of the exiled Iranian president, Abolhassan Bani- Sadr, said yesterday that 20 people were killed in an explosion at the residence of Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, AP reports from Nicosia. Ayatollah Khamenei's office denied the report, and another leading Iranian dissident group said there was no explosion at his residence. The Ayatollah is Iran's supreme leader and the successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is also commander of the armed forces. 'We have received information that today . . . there was an explosion at the residence of Mr Seyed Ali Khamenei, 'leader of the revolution',' said a statement issued from Mr Bani-Sadr's office just outside Paris.