Iran condemns Boston blast

Criticizes U.S. 'double standard' in backing violence elsewhere

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, addresses a group of Iranian military commanders in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday.

TEHRAN, Iran  — Iran’s top leader has condemned the bombing attack in Boston but at the same time charged that U.S. policies employ a double standard.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran is opposed to the killing of innocent people, whether in Boston, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria. He was addressing Iranian military commanders in Tehran. His comments were posted on his website today.

He criticized the U.S. for killing people with drones in Pakistan and Afghanistan and backing forces that kill others in Iraq and Syria.

Iran is the chief regional ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and is considered close to Iraq’s Shiite Muslim-dominated government.