Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said the Islamic Republic is a source of stability and security in the unstable Middle East and is striving to help find political solutions and foster regional cooperation to counter violence and extremism.
She made the comments late Saturday after allegations by US President Barack Obama that Iran's authorities are anti-Semite and that Iran wants to dominate the Persian Gulf states by expanding its power and influence across the region, ISNA reported.
"Iran respects all divine religions and their followers, including Judaism," she said. However, she recalled that Iran's "anti-Zionist stance towards Israeli occupation, genocide and state terrorism" has nothing to do with Judaism and Jews.
Attributing Obama's allegations to be part of the Iranophobia campaign aimed at creating tension and fuelling discord and hate in the region, she said history is a testament to Tehran's "constructive and peaceful role" in the region and beyond.
On the patent US threats against Iran about "all options are on the table," she said they insist on "repetitious negative balderdash which has no place in reality," urging the other side to respect the principles during the course of nuclear negotiations.
Iran and the P5+1 are currently working to reach a final accord on Iran’s nuclear program by the end of June. The two sides reached a mutual understanding on the parameters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – as the comprehensive agreement on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program is called – in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2.
In an interview with the American magazine The Atlantic on Thursday, President Barack Obama had claimed Iran seeks to exploit instability in the region.
