Tasnim � Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic has turned into a �key player� both in the region and around the world thanks to the Iranian nation�s continued support for the establishment.

The Iranian people's resistance against enemies and their support for the Islamic Establishment in the past four decades have turned the Islamic Republic into a �key� and �constructive" actor both in the region and the world, Zarif said at a meeting in Tehran attended by foreign ambassadors to Iran on Monday.

Iran is a country with an ancient civilization, he added, noting that reviewing its history in the past 200 years can help all learn more about Iran's peaceful role in the international developments.

The top diplomat further rejected reports that Iran is seeking to found its empire as �false�, noting that it is part of the Iranophobia campaign mounted by enemies.

�We see our interests in a powerful, progressive and stable region,� Zarif said.

In recent years, the Middle East region has been plagued with Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh, which are believed to have been created and supported by the West and some regional Arab countries.

The terrorist groups, which claim to be Islamic but whose actions are anything but, have been committing heinous crimes not only against non-Muslims but mostly against Muslims in the region. Iraq and Syria are among the countries gripped by terrorism.

Iran, a close ally of the two countries, has played a major role in uprooting terrorism in Iraq and Syria by supporting their legitimate governments in their campaign against foreign-backed militancy and terrorism.