Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, May 2

TEHRAN -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday categorically denied Morocco's allegations that Tehran is backing Western Sahara's separatist movement the Polisario Front.

"The allegation that an Iranian diplomat (in Morocco) has been cooperating with the Polisario Front is untrue and unreal," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said. (Iran-Morocco-Polisario)

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TRIPOLI -- The militant group Islamic State (IS) on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on the headquarters of Libya's Higher Commission of Elections in the capital Tripoli.

The IS media arm Amaq tweeted a statement that the attack was carried out on the orders of the organization's spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir. (Libya-IS-Suicide Attack)

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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday lashed out at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the latter's comments that the Jewish Holocaust was not caused by anti-Semitism.

Abbas told a meeting in the West Bank that the Nazi genocide of Jews in Europe during World War II was a result of their financial activities, not due to anti-Semitism. (Israel-Netanyahu-Abbas Holocaust Remarks)

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ANKARA -- Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek on Wednesday slammed Standard & Poor (S&P) for downgrading the country's sovereign credit rating ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections.

"Cutting the credit rating ahead of Turkey's election is wrong and meaningful," Simsek said in a tweet on his official Twitter account, adding that S&P was scheduled to review the rating and outlook on Turkey in August. (Turkey-S&P-Credit Rating) Enditem