Iranian foreign ministry Wednesday denounced British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his latest comments concerning Iran's "impedimental role" for peace in the Mideast region, the official IRNA news agency reported.

In a statement released earlier the day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Blair's recent "hostile and malicious" claims indicated Britain's "blatant and harmful" interference in regional affairs, terming his remarks as a " British scheme to create disunity".

"The negative and divisive approach of Britain as well as unilateralism and war mongering policies of (U.S. President George W.) Bush and Blair account for tension and extremism in the region, " Hosseini was quoted as saying.

Such claims cannot hurt the friendly and brotherly relations as well as peaceful coexistence of regional states, he stressed.

In his recent comments, Blair described Iran as "an obstacle to peace" in the region and called on moderate Muslim countries to form coalition force to oppose Tehran's alleged support for extremism.

The U.S., Britain and some other Western countries have repeatedly accused Iran of helping Iraqi Shiite militant groups to fight with coalition forces in that country, but Tehran has denied the charges.

Source: Xinhua