TEHRAN -- A member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, called the situation of human rights in the United States regretful and asked Muslim nations to establish a committee to make a complete review on the issue.

"To enlighten the world public opinion, Muslim nations should set up a joint committee to prepare a report to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on the status of human rights in the United States," Boroujerdi told parliamentarians.

The U.S. has been critical of the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic since the two countries severed relations in 1979, after the seizure by Islamist students, of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran several months after the triumph of the Islamic Revolution.

The United States accuses Iran of sponsoring terrorism, seeking to sabotage Arab-Israeli peace efforts, and committing human rights abuses.

Iran has made talks with the U.S. conditional on an end to the sanctions and the unfreezing of some 10 billion dollars of its assets in U.S. banks since November 1980.

Last month, U.S. President George W. Bush said he had no intention of easing sanctions on Iran despite his interest in reviewing the effectiveness of all U.S. economic sanctions. The United States currently bans its oil companies from investing in Iran.