A senior Iranian official says the US allegation about Iran’s involvement in the plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington gives rise to serious questions

A senior Iranian official says the US allegation about Iran's involvement in the plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington gives rise to serious questions.

Calling for the identification of the parties that stand to benefit from the creation of this scenario, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe and Americas Ali Ahani said this scenario benefits the US and Israel as Tehran gains nothing from the assassination of the Saudi envoy.

Ahani urged Saudi Arabia to be vigilant about this plot and not fall for into a trap as tensions in regional relations would benefit the US and Israel, IRNA reported on Thursday. These allegations are leveled against Iran, which is a victim of terrorism and has always had a clear position towards terrorism due to its Islamic principles, he added

US President Barack Obama said there is no doubt members of the Iranian government knew of the alleged plot and that they must be held accountable for the "reckless behavior". "Our first step is to make sure that we prosecute those individuals who have been named in the indictment," he said.

In addition to prosecuting the men, Obama told reporters that the US would continue "to apply the toughest sanctions and continue to mobilize the international community to make sure that Iran is further and further isolated and pays a price for this kind of behavior".

Iran has denied the charges and expressed outrage, saying the allegations threaten stability in the Gulf, where Saudi Arabia and Iran, the biggest regional powers, are fierce rivals and Washington has a huge military presence.

On Tuesday, the US Justice Department accused Iran of involvement in a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Washington Adel Al-Jubeir with help from a suspected member of a Mexican drug cartel.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast rejected the accusation, saying such 'ludicrous' claims hinged on the hostile joint stances adopted by the US and Israel against the country.

The latest accusations come as the United States and its staunch ally, Israel, have devised numerous anti-Iran plots over the past years, including the targeted assassination of Iranian scientists.