Iran on Thursday rejected as " unfounded" the British allegation that Iran had played a role in current insurgency in southern Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi denied the allegation which was renewed recently by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, reported the official IRNA news agency.

Straw on Wednesday in a TV program renewed London's accusation that Iran had been supplying explosives and training personnel for the insurgents in Iraq.

"The British government criticizes others without providing any proofs to cover its failure and scandal caused by two of its soldiers arrested in southern Iraq," Asefi was quoted as saying.

In September, the British troops launched a raid on an Iraqi police station to free two British soldiers arrested in the southern city of Basra, which caused riots among local residents.

Asefi denounced that the British government should be responsible for the deepening crisis in Iraq, warning that no country would benefit from confrontation with Iran.

"Britain, instead of repeating awkward accusations, had better think of a plan to withdraw its troops from Iraq," Asefi added.

Britain had earlier accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of supplying explosives technology to insurgents in Iraq who had killed several British soldiers in bombing attacks.

Tehran has termed the charge as "lies", saying Iran is playing just constructive roles in Iraq.

Source: Xinhua