Tehran, Dec 23 (IANS): The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that Western countries have always stoked tensions in the region, in reaction to an anti-Iran joint statement recently issued by foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members and the UK.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met with visiting Foreign Ministers of the on Monday and they issued a joint statement after the meeting, voicing "grave concern" about Iran's regional activities and what they called "nuclear escalation", Xinhua news agency reported.

FIran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called the claims made through the statement "baseless" and "repetitive," according to a statement published on the ministry's website.

He said the joint statement was issued as part of the attempts by certain circles, which are concerned about the creation of an atmosphere of interaction and cooperation among the regional countries, to sow discord in the region.

Iran has always played a responsible role in ensuring peace and stability in the region and has invited regional states to interact and hold dialogue with each other, Khatibzadeh noted.

The spokesman regretted that some Western countries, through measures such as exporting modern weaponry to some regional states, are important factors in the region's tensions and human catastrophes.

On the claim about "nuclear escalation," Khatibzadeh said Iran has always remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the safeguards agreement and will be able to benefit from the peaceful use of nuclear energy within the NPT framework.