Iran denies presence of al-Qaida members in the Islamic republic

Iran's Foreign Ministry denied reports about the presence of some members of al-Qaida in the Islamic republic, semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday.

"Iran has no information about the presence of these people (al-Qaida members) on its soil," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying.

On Wednesday, the United States announced that it had imposed sanctions on three senior al-Qaida members staying in Iran, in a move to disrupt the terror group's operations and support networks.

The three members are identified as Faisal Jassim Mohammed Al-Amri Al-Khalidi, Yisra Muhammad Ibrahim Bayumi, and Abu Bakr Muhammad Muhammad Ghumayn, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement. They were accused of being "responsible for moving money and weapons across the Middle East," it added.

"The Islamic republic has always insisted on its determination to confront the terrorist groups and has taken necessary measures vis-a-vis its relevant international obligations," Qasemi said.

He urged the U.S. officials to avoid making a sweeping generalization about the matter and, instead, share accurate information for coordinated international action against terrorist groups. Endit