Iran described as "unfounded" accusations by new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over Tehran's "ambition to dominate the Middle East".
"The US secretary of state's remarks on the presence and role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in certain countries in the region are a repetition of absurd and unfounded accusations," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Bahram Qasemi said in a statement on Monday.
He said "Iran's presence in Syria and Iraq is in response to requests from the two countries' governments and is part of the fight against terrorism in the region", ISNA reported.
"This assistance will continue as long as [these] governments need help in this fight," he said.
Unholy Alliance
Calling the partnership of US and Saudi Arabia as an "unholy alliance", he said, it has only aggravated the tensions in the region.
"This partnership is a collaboration to stir instability, launch war and further escalate the arms race and extremism based on the adventures of a number of unskilled and warmongering Saudi politicians," he said.
"Continued violence, hostility and distrust among the regional nations, prolonged crises, insecurity and instability in the region are the result of this partnership," he added.
Pompeo lashed out at Tehran on Sunday during a rapid tour of Middle East allies ahead of a crucial White House decision on whether to quit a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Speaking during a visit to Iran's rival and key US ally Saudi Arabia just days after he took office, Pompeo accused Tehran of destabilizing the Middle East through its support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and for fighters in Yemen.
Qasemi also reiterated previous government statements denying Saudi and US accusations that Iran is supplying weapons to Yemen's Houthi fighters, backed politically by Tehran.
Such charges are "a false issue, created solely for the purpose of diverting the attention of the international community from the atrocities committed by Saudi Arabia in its daily attacks" in Yemen, he said.
"These are empty allegations made only [to justify] the continued aggression of Saudi Arabia in Yemen and foreign forces in the region," he added.
Saudi Arabia and its allies launched the war in March 2015 in support of Yemen's former Riyadh-friendly government and against the Houthi group, which is currently running state affairs.
The United Nations and rights groups have slammed the Saudi-led campaign for causing civilian casualties and sparking a humanitarian crisis.
