Iran is not worried over US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's threat of "strong action" against it by the UN Security Council for producing enriched uranium, a senior Iranian diplomat said, warning Washington against "interfering" in its internal affairs.
In an interview with Time magazine, Iranian Charge d'affaires in Iraq Hassan Kazemi Ghomi made it clear that his government does not take kindly to being told what to do.
"Just as no one should interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq, the US should not contemplate interfering in Iran."
"It's our position that we want to be a sovereign and independent country, but the Americans seem to think they know better than us," he added.
He also denied the American charge that his country's special forces and intelligence agents are operating inside Iraq and Tehran's military is helping insurgents with sophisticated weapons.
Ghomi also rejected the charge that he is playing a military role.
But Time says he did hit at Iran's "growing ambitions" as regional power and ability to affect the security of the Persian Gulf.
"We do not deny America has interest here (in Iraq) and we do not act as a barrier to those interests but we do not take orders from the Americans," he told Time.
{{/usCountry}}"We do not deny America has interest here (in Iraq) and we do not act as a barrier to those interests but we do not take orders from the Americans," he told Time.
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