Iran, Russia slam US over approach to Tehran

Iran on Thursday dismissed a US report that accused the Islamic Republic of being a "sponsor of terrorism."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bahram Qasemi said the report was "invalid and an attempt to divert world attention from the US's role in the expansion of terrorism." He also said the report, released on Wednesday, reflected the "hatred policies" of the US.

The annual report from the US state department said "Iran continued to be the leading state sponsor of terrorism."

Also on Thursday, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said the US sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile program are unfounded, according to the state-run RIA news agency.

Washington on Tuesday slapped new economic sanctions against Tehran, saying the country’s "malign activities" in the Middle East had undercut any "positive contributions" coming from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord.