NICOSIA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi criticized here Tuesday the U.S. fight against international terrorism, saying it was aimed at humiliating Iran and not eradicating the root causes.

He said U.S. President George W. Bush's stance that countries were either with the United States or with terrorism could not be accepted as a solution to the problem, AFP reported.

"You may not be with the United States but that doesn't mean you are with the terrorists," Kharazi told reporters in Nicosia during a two-day visit to Cyprus to sign bilateral agreements.

"Just by labeling others the problems will not be resolved," he added.

The foreign minister said that members of the U.S.-led alliance against international terrorism disagreed with the demonizing of Iran.

"Allies of the U.S. have not supported the labeling machinery of the United States against Iran," he said.

"As a matter of fact the United States has been choosing different labels to humiliate and intimidate others at different levels including Iran." He said the United States and Europe know the "positive role" Iran has played in establishing a government in Afghanistan as well as helping to combat terrorism and drug trafficking there.

"No one can deny that ... It's exactly the same role we played in Tajikistan in Central Asia." If Washington was genuinely interested in rooting out the causes of terrorism it should be done in cooperation with the international community under the auspices of the United Nations, Kharazi said.