TEHRAN – Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that the West is seeking to normalize Iran’s relations with the U.S. by publishing “fake documents” pertaining to Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution.

Larijani was referring to a BBC report published on Friday in which it claimed that Imam Khomeini sent a secret letter to President Jimmy Carter just prior to the victory of the Islamic revolution promising to protect the U.S. interests if the Shah regime is toppled.

Speaking in an open session of the parliament, Larijani said publication of the fake document was a “mischievous” act aimed at questioning Imam Khomeini’s “unwavering struggle” against hegemonic system.

In the report BBC claimed Imam Khomeini told the White House not to panic at the prospect of losing a strategic ally of 37 years and assured them that he, too, would be a friend.

Gary Sick, a U.S. academic and analyst of Middle East affairs who served on the U.S. National Security Council, said, “Apart from selective quotations, there are some factual errors in the BBC report.”

‘Washington’s allegation against Iran is unwise’

Larijani also pointed to the annual U.S. report on terrorism which put Iran on the list of countries supporting terrorism, describing the report as “unwise”.

Contrary to such a claim it is clear for the world that Iran is fighting terrorism in the Middle East, Larijani said in an indirect reference to Iran’s advisory support to Iraq and Syria in their fight against ISIL.

Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement calling the report “illusory”.  The statement also said, “Had it not been for the U.S. military interventions and its destructive supports for terrorist groups in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Yemen, the global community would have not incurred heavy costs of worldwide confrontation with the terrorist groups.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari also said on Monday that the report is “invalid” and “politicized”.

NA/PA