Iran has rejected U.S. allegations that the Islamic republic continues to be a main sponsor of terrorism and suggested that the main source was its regional rival and U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters in London on March 31 that the Shi'ite Iranian state continues to be an "exporter of terrorism" and a "sponsor of terrorism."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi reacted on April 1, saying, "Some countries led by America are determined to ignore the main source of Takfiri-Wahhabi terrorism and extremism," according to state news agency IRNA.
He was referring to hard-line Sunni Muslim groups and Saudi Arabia's official Wahhabi school of Islam.
"Giving a wrong address when referring to the roots and the financial and intellectual resources of terrorism is a main reason for a lack of success by international antiterror efforts," Ghasemi also said.
