Iranian official spokesmen were reacting to accusations by both Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and President George W. Bush’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Iran, Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad, who said Tehran is hosting members of the al-Qa’eda terrorist organisation.

"America is using terrorism for its own purposes, hence the unreasonable and irresponsible statements of Rumsfeld", said the State-owned television, which is under the direct control of the lamed Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i.

"These statements do not alter the willingness of the Iranian government to fight against terrorism", the Television said in an "authorised commentary" which reflects the views from the ruling conservatives ayatollahs.

Rumsfeld and Khalilzad separate statements came after Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Saud al-Faysal told "The Washington Post" that Tehran had handed over to the Kingdom 16 Saudi nationals suspected of belonging to the terrorist network believed to be behind the deadly 11 September attacks on the United States, killing more than 3.500 people.

For his part, the Afghan-born Khalilzad also claimed that Iran was "still" supporting terrorist groups.

At a press briefing held Wednesday at the US Embassy in the Afghan Capital, Mr. Khalilzad said that Iran's conflicting words on terrorism is "a good proof of supporting the terrorist groups", adding that the US had never spoken against Iran without any proof.

Khalilzad noted that two months ago, Iranian officials were adamantly rejecting American claims that there were al-Qa’eda members in Iran, but the Iranian president admitted during his stay here that Iran had transferred a number of al-Qa’eda activists to Saudi Arabia

Iran immediately confirmed al-Saud’s so-called "revelations", presenting it as a "proof" of Iranian co-operation with the United Nations fighting international terrorism.

In his interview with the Post, Prince Saud said Iran had fully co-operated with both Saudi Arabia and the United States, which has demanded that suspected members of al-Qa’eda be handed over to Washington.

But Iranian political analysts dismissed the importance of the news, observing that by making the revelation now, the Saudi wanted to pleases the Americans at a time that there are growing concern in Washington over US-Saudi special relationship.

Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia have deteriorated so far that Riyadh is no longer considered allies, the "Times" of London said Thursday.

The final "stab in the back" for Washington was the decision to ban American bombers from attacking Iraq from Saudi airbases, according to diplomatic sources quoted by the newspaper.

The US has reportedly removed Prince Sultan airbase from its list of potential launch pads in planning its campaign against Iraq and concentrating on using al "Udeid" site in the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar.

Nevertheless, Mr Rumsfeld said the meeting between Afghani and Iranian officials was "probably a useful thing". He said that it was important for Kabul to have a relationship with all of its neighbours, in order for it to function as a government. "That's much easier to do if you have neighbours that are not unfriendly", he said.

In his January State of the Union address, President Bush provoked Iranian conservatives when he identified the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with North Korea and Iraq, as part of "an axis of evil".

Then in a statement issued last month, he said Washington had abandoned the powerless President as being "irrelevant" and accused the "non-elected" ruling conservative clerics of "ignoring their citizens' demands for greater freedom and urged Tehran to abandon its "uncompromising" and "destructive policies."

Meanwhile, a new Farsi-language internet website claimed Thursday that Iran has arrested and extradited to their countries of origin more than 400 al-Qa’eda suspects.

The press, meanwhile, reported earlier this year that 200 Pakistanis were also rounded up, but the Iranian authorities or the Pakistani embassy in Tehran never confirmed the information.

"In addition to the 16 Saudis, nationals from Yemen, Kuwait and Pakistan as well as Westerners -- British, French, Dutch and Belgians -- have been arrested and handed over to their embassies before being extradited," Emrooz said quoting its source.

During a visit to neighboring Afghanistan on Tuesday Mr. Khatami promised that Iran would never become a haven for al-Qa’eda and that militants from the group would be arrested and deported.

Iran has said suspects would not be handed to the United States but to their own countries.

Khatami, the first Iranian leader to visit Afghanistan in 50 years, criticized the United States for its "aggressive policies" and denied the charges by US officials that his country had been supporting terrorism.

Mr Khatami said the US had created a "warlike" atmosphere throughout the world since September 11 and warned that the use of military force, such as the US-led campaign against the Taleban and al-Qa’eda network in Afghanistan, could lead to global instability.

"I believe that American leaders have a misunderstanding and an incorrect perception both about their own power and their own interests", Mr Khatami said after talks with President Hamid Karzai and other officials.

"Contrary to the methods pursued by previous [US] administrations, [present] statesmen could have benefited the world but, by using the bitter incident of 11 September, have created a warlike and rough atmosphere in the world".