TEHRAN -- Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi called here Thursday the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's statements regarding Iran before a U.S. Senate subcommittee as a token of Washington's self-centeredness in its world view. He said Powell seems to have forgotten the support of U.S. of the Iraqi regime in the imposed war on Iran "which inflicted death and injuries on hundred of thousands of Iranians."

"Ironically, he (Powell) now expresses sympathy for the Iranian youth," Assefi stated. The U.S. leaders in promoting a U.S.-inspired model of government are "actually spreading lies and immorality in international affairs."

He also brushed aside claims of Iran's interference in Iraqi internal affairs, adding "Invasion of Iraq is a blatant act of interference in another country's affairs." The invaders are not morally competent to blame others, he added.

He warned that superficial understanding of realities in today's Iraq will mislead the American officials in the future. Assefi stressed that Iran as Iraq's neighbor deeply respects its right of self-determination in its internal affairs and "calls for a democratic system of government rooted in the free will of the Iraqi nation."

A broad-based system in Iraq will also be a force for stability and congruity in the region, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said. He called Powell's remarks on Iran's alleged support for terrorism as fabrication of truth as well as "baseless and repetitive." He chided the U.S. cooperation with the MKO terrorist group which was supported by the Baathist regime, calling the U.S. action as petty in "its backing of irrelevant figures."

"The U.S. lies in combating terrorism are now quite evident," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Assefi also on Wednesday rejected the recent remarks by certain U.S. officials on Iran's nuclear activities, adding that such repetitious positions are meant to diverting the world attention from Washington's efforts to develop small nuclear weapons.

Assefi said Iran's nuclear program is transparent and peaceful, stressing that Iran, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), will continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in that connection.

The U.S. Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Non-Proliferation, John Wolf, on Monday accused Iran of cheating on its obligations under a key global pact to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Also, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Stephen Rademaker, on Monday highlighted U.S. concerns that Iran "continues to seek chemicals, production technology, training and expertise from abroad" to develop chemical weapons.

Assefi also said that U.S. accusations that Iran is trying to acquire chemical weapons is another example of Washington's propaganda against the Islamic Republic.

He said the fact that Iran has obtained the end-use certificate from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) testifies Iran's "transparent and sincere" policies with regards to the international conventions.

"The Islamic Republic has always been committed to promoting the mechanisms to implement international conventions on chemical weapons within the frameworks of a global struggle to enhance the world peace and security," Assefi said.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman further said that the role of U.S. corporations in enabling Iraq to achieve chemical weapons and use them against the Iranian nation is already an open secret to the international community.

"The U.S. would better not to put obstacles on the way of international organizations monitoring nuclear activities worldwide than proposing its own version of disarmament modalities for those organizations," Assefi said.