"Given the apparatus of the Islamic Revolution and the stances the Iranian people have adopted against the United States, Washington and Tel Aviv have always been trying their best to topple our country," Mohajerani told a gathering of Kuwaiti authors, thinkers and cultural figures.

Mohajerani is in Kuwait on an official visit carrying a message from President Khatami.

He further referred to the trial of 13 Jews accused of spying for Israel, saying that some years ago the U.S. arrested some agents of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) spying for the Zionist government and now a similar situation is taking place in Iran.

"When spies who are arrested and brought before a court admit that they have passed materials to the Mossad, the U.S. Secretary of State who is a Jew objects to the process," Mohajerani said.

Elsewhere in his talk, he criticized the Iraqi regime for tarnishing the image of Iran before Arab states, noting that when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 its false claim of being a defender of Arab interests was exposed.

"If all Muslim states had castigated Iraq when it attacked Iran we would be having better relations with them," he noted.

Asked to comment on the Iran-UAE controversy, he said: "This is just a difference over the Iranian islands and should not be allowed to affect ties between Iran and regional countries."

"A problem always burdening Islamic countries is that when they want to expand ties they highlight their differences which is a wrong strategy and will result in losing opportunities," Mohajerani said.

Pointing to the fact that Kuwait is to be named the cultural center of Arab states in 2001, he expressed his hope that with the holding of an Iran Cultural Week in Kuwait its people, particularly its intellectuals, would get better acquainted with Islamic Iran's culture.

Meanwhile Mohajerani offered an analysis of the socio-political situation in Iran before the Islamic Revolution, saying, ''The pre-revolution era in Iran can be summarized in one word; despotism.''

''Before the Islamic Revolution, there were two reformist and revolutionary movements. One was the Constitutional movement and the other the movement for nationalization of oil industry with both challenging despotism,'' he added, noting that, ''the latter was also a struggle against British colonialism.''

He also appreciated the public participation in the 21 elections held in Iran since the victory of the Islamic Revolution and highlighted the three recent elections including the presidential election which swept reformist Khatami to power, Islamic City Councils election held for the first time in Iran and the parliamentary elections in which the pro-reform camp won a landslide victory.

Asked to give a clear defenition of democracy under present circumstance in Iran and the Constitution, he said, ''The people vote for some representatives who in turn approve the Constitution. Observing these laws is interpreted as 'democracy'.''

He added that, ''No Constitution is eternal and can therefore undergo amendments if necessary.''

On the authorities of the Guardians Council, he said, ''This council is an entity defined in the Constitution. It has neither closed any dailies nor suspended any parties. It must supervise the performance of the parliament so as not to act against Islam and the Constitution.''

Referring to the supervisory role of the Guardians Council in the presidential and Parlimentary elections, Mohajerani noted, ''This does not imply that we are not critical of some of the stances adopted by the council with regard to the elections.''

On cultural developments in Iran, he said, ''Our government believes in cultural pluralism and the plurality of thoughts.

''While Abdullah Nouri (former interior minister) is serving his jail term (on charges of dissent), the book containing his defenses has been published and has a circulation of 150,000 copies in a year. This demonstrates the freedom of thoughts regardless of political affiliations,'' Mohajerani added.

Elaborating on the recent closure of some 17 periodicals, most of them close to President Khatami, by a hardline court, he said, ''Such wholesale suspension increased the circulation of popular dailies and the Judiciary also promised that the suspensions were only temporary,'' The minister added, ''These cannot impede the cultural growth in the country.''