TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday deplored Washington�s Middle East policies, saying they have exacerbated violence in the region.

�Unfortunately, the US policy in the region has fanned violence,� Zarif said in a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart Lubomir Zaoralek here in Tehran.

�(The United States�) allies in the region are stirring up violence directly or indirectly, and the US Secretary of State knows this better than anyone else,� he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian minister touched upon Tehran-Prague relations after the recent nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, saying the grounds are prepared for the expansion of bilateral economic ties.

Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14 reached a conclusion over the text of a comprehensive 159-page deal on Tehran�s nuclear program.

Zarif further said that Iran and the Czech Republic have had close relations for almost 90 years, and that the history of bilateral ties can facilitate the two countries� cooperation in all fields.

Zaoralek, who is accompanied by a 70-strong delegation of Czech traders and economic activists, arrived in Iran on Friday to hold talks with Iranian officials on bilateral relations, current international policy issues in the region and the fight against terrorism.

By Tasnim News Agency