TEHRAN, September 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Iran stepped up its rhetoric against the United States Sunday, September 8, accusing Washington of using its military presence over the border in Afghanistan as a launch-pad for anti-Iranian operations.

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said the U.S. was working in collaboration with "bandits and terrorist groups" over the border, and asserted the Islamic regime was considering lodging a formal protest.

"We have information that the Americans, in collaboration with bandits and terrorist groups, are organizing actions contrary to the interests of Iran on our eastern borders," Kharrazi told a press conference.

The minister did not elaborate on his accusation. Officials here commonly refer to drug smugglers on its eastern borders with Iran and Pakistan as "bandits".

"Iran is in the process of examining how to lodge a complaint against the United States before international bodies, as these actions violate the [1980] Algiers Agreement," Kharazi said, referring to the mutual non-interference deal that ended the post-revolution embassy hostage crisis.

Kharazi said Washington's alleged activities highlighted "the lack of U.S. sincerity in the war against terrorism", echoing a widely-held view here that Washington's post-September 11 operations in the region go way beyond eliminating Osama bin Laden's Al-Qa’eda.

A longtime opponent of the Taliban regime in Kabul overthrown by the U.S.-led war on terror, Iran has expressed mounting concern about the U.S. troop presence in its eastern neighbor.

Iranian officials have complained in particular about the activities of U.S. personnel in the isolated Afghan border province of Nimruz. The U.S. and Iran have also been vying for influence in the key western Afghan city of Herat, traditionally a part of Tehran's sphere of influence.

But despite the accusation, Kharrazi insisted that Iran was interested in U.S. calls for improved relations - as long as it was Washington and not Tehran that made the first move towards reconciliation, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

On Thursday U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Washington was waiting for the Islamic republic - with which it severed diplomatic relations in 1979 after radical students seized U.S. embassy staff - to show interest first.

"[We want] to find a basis from which to move forward but if there is forward movement, it is going to have to come from Iran first," he said.

Washington and Tehran severed diplomatic relations in 1979 after radical students seized the U.S. embassy staff following the Islamic revolution.

"What U.S. officials said recently was nothing new, but if they have something new to say, they only have to make a gesture, a first step," Kharrazi said.

He said U.S. leaders needed to "make a gesture" to improve relations.

Turning to Iran's western neighbor, Kharrazi reiterated that Iran was "firmly opposed to any attack on Iraq," and said that in the event of a U.S. attack Iran "would not remain indifferent".

The minister also defended the Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah.

On Thursday, Armitage said Hezbollah may be the "A Team" of terrorism and warned the U.S. would act against it "in good time".

But Kharrazi asserted that Hezbollah was "an integral part of Lebanon's political institutions" and a group that was "supported by the people".

He also again dismissed U.S. accusations that Iran has been harboring Al-Qa’eda members who have fled Afghanistan.

"Iran has always collaborated in the war against terrorism and rejects these accusation over Al-Qa’eda," he said, pointing out that Iran has extradited a number of suspected members of the group. "From our side, there is no ambiguity or fault."

The minister accused the U.S. of "exploiting the events of September 11 and responding to violence with violence, which is a grave error on their part."

Much of the international community has criticized the U.S.’ “war on terror”, saying that the U.S. is using the unfortunate events of September 11 to “settle old scores” with countries it has less than ideal relations with.

The latest criticism comes from Pakistani leader General Parvis Musharraf, who commenced his trip to the U.S. and United Nations on Sunday.