TEHRAN — Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Friday rejected the United States’ blame game against China, calling on independent countries to stand up to the U.S. bullying.

“Iran dismisses the recent American regime’s #COVID19-related blame game & smears against China,” Mousavi said via Twitter on Thursday.

“The regime’s campaigns aim at diverting attention at home & abroad from the Admin's incompetency to save lives & reopen economy,” he remarked. “Iran calls on independent states to stand against United States bullying.”

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have soared to a fever pitch in recent days and the two sides have traded barbs over the handling of the pandemic.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that China should have stopped the coronavirus at its source. “Whether it came from the labor came from the bats, it all came from China, and they should have stopped it.”

However, U.S. intelligence agencies have confirmed that the coronavirus does not appear man-made or genetically modified, refuting the theory promoted by some Trump backers.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday accused China of trying to steal U.S. intellectual property and data pertaining to coronavirus research.

Washington condemns such attempts by China-linked “cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated,” Pompeo said in a statement.

“While the United States and our allies and partners are coordinating a collective, transparent response to save lives, the PRC continues to silence scientists, journalists, and citizens, and to spread disinformation, which has exacerbated the dangers of this health crisis,” he added.

Earlier this month, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged the U.S. to stop shifting the blame to China and turn to facts.

MH/PA