." ▁Foreign ▁correspond ents ▁believed ▁the ▁main ▁suspect s ▁were ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁conserv atives ▁opposed ▁to ▁Iran ' s ▁more ▁moder ate ▁President ▁Moh amm ad ▁K hat ami ▁reform ▁ag enda . ▁In ▁Iran , ▁conserv ative ▁daily ▁newsp apers ▁also ▁bl amed ▁" fore ign ▁sources ▁intend ▁on ▁creating ▁an ▁environment ▁of ▁in security ▁and ▁inst ability ▁in ▁the ▁country ," ▁for ▁the ▁kill ings . ▁In ▁particular , ▁they ▁bl amed ▁the ▁Ira qi - based ▁M oj ah ed in - e - K hal q ▁terror ist ▁group . ▁ ▁On ▁ 4 ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁public ▁relations ▁office ▁of ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Information ▁" un expected ly " ▁issued ▁a ▁short ▁press ▁release ▁claim ing ▁" st aff ▁within " ▁its ▁own ▁Ministry ▁" comm itted ▁these ▁criminal ▁activities ▁… ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁under cover ▁ro gue ▁agents ": ▁ ▁" The ▁desp ic able ▁and ▁ab hor ring ▁recent ▁mur ders ▁in ▁Te h ran ▁are ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁chron ic ▁consp i racy ▁and ▁a ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁national ▁security . ▁The ▁Information ▁Ministry ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁legal ▁oblig ations ▁and ▁following ▁clear ▁direct ives ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Le ader ▁and ▁the ▁President , ▁made ▁the ▁discovery ▁and ▁up root ing ▁of ▁this ▁sin ister ▁and ▁threaten ing ▁event ▁the ▁priority ▁action ▁for ▁the ▁Ministry . ▁With ▁the ▁co operation ▁of ▁the ▁spe cially ▁appointed ▁Investig atory ▁committee ▁of ▁the ▁President , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁has ▁succeeded ▁to