US allegations harms Iran's ties with regional states

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Tuesday that Washington's "evil scenario" is intended to impair Iran's relations with its Arab neighbors.Salehi made the remarks in a Tuesday meeting with ambassadors and representatives of international organizations in Tehran referring to the US recent allegations that Iran is involved in a plot to kill Saudi Ambassador to Washington Adel Al- Jubeir. The Iranian foreign minister strongly condemned the political moves by US officials to level allegations against Iran "based on suspicious remarks by an individual whose real identity has not been disclosed". He said that Washington's "scenario" is intended to prop up the unsuccessful coalition of certain Western states to impose illegal sanctions on Iran and to help Washington regain its "lost" position in the sensitive Middle East region. Salehi said that other countries should adopt a tactful position and refrain from taking a hasty stance on the issue. He further cautioned the international community to remain vigilant in the face of such "baseless allegations" which threaten global order, peace and security. Salehi emphasized that regional and international stability have always been a top priority in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic as the country has been a victim of terrorism itself. No country will benefit from such a scenario, he said, adding that the US has refused permission for even a consular access to legal documents despite two cases of official demands by Iran. Salehi said that Iran asked the United States to submit any information related to their claims of plot, adding that Iran is ready to examine the evidences, even if fabricated, "seriously and patiently." Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said Tuesday that the country's inclination to examine the US evidences on the alleged assassination plot does not mean a withdrawal from Tehran's stance that it was a plot against the Islamic Republic. Iran's stance has not changed and Tehran still believes that the allegations was a US plot against the country, Mehman-Parast said Tuesday in his weekly press briefing. He said that the US accusation against Iran is aimed at deviating the US public opinion from the problems that US is facing inside and outside the country. Iran will use all the means possible to restore Iranians' rights and to prove the allegations fabricated, he added. The comment came after the United States said last Tuesday that Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old US citizen holding both Iranian and US passports, and Gholam Shakuri were charged with sponsoring and promoting terrorist activities abroad, including a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Arbabsiar was arrested by the US authorities, while Shakuri is said to be out of the US.