Iranian official says no offence taken at McCain’s ‘Bomb Iran’ ditty

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This article was published 14/10/2008 (5953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GENEVA – Bomb-bomb Iran?

Iran says no offence taken.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain altered the lyrics of the Beach Boys classic “Barbara Ann” last year to refer to an attack on Iran, which is locked in a standoff with the West over its nuclear program.

McCain’s remarks came when a member of a South Carolina audience railed against Iran during last year’s primaries and asked when the United States would attack.

He answered by referring to: “That old Beach Boys song, ‘Bomb Iran.”‘

Then the candidate began to sing, “Bomb-bomb-bomb … ” before breaking it off.

McCain has been grilled about the song by reporters and his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, has mentioned it in debates.

But is Iran mad about it? Not a bit, Ali Larijani, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and former chief nuclear negotiator, said Tuesday in response to a reporter’s question in Geneva.

“We don’t have any objection to them singing a song,” Larijani said.

But a real bomb, he said, would be no laughing matter.

“We are confident that if they make that mistake they will be awakened from their sleep and they will face a nightmare,” Larijani said.