Iran accuses U.S. of provoking Middle East 'crises'

Tehran, which denies seeking to build a nuclear bomb, on Sunday dismissed the comments made in Jeddah.

Tehran on Sunday accused Washington of provoking tensions in the Middle East, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden ended a tour to Iran's rival Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Israel.

Washington "has once again resorted to the failed policy of Iran-phobia, trying to create tensions and crises in the region," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement.

The comments come after Mr. Biden on Saturday vowed that the United States would not "tolerate efforts by any country to dominate another in the region through military buildups, incursions, and/or threats", in a transparent reference to Iran.

Mr. Biden's first Middle East visit came just a few days before Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to visit Tehran on July 19.

Mr. Biden, in a speech in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah at a summit that brought together the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, assured Arab leaders that Washington would remain fully engaged in the Middle East.

"We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran," Mr. Biden said.

Following the meeting, a joint statement committed the leaders to "preserve regional security and stability".