Tehran, Feb 9, SPA -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi on Wednesday lashed out escalation of the west's "poisonous" anti-Iran propaganda and dismissed claims of certain western officials against the Islamic Republic of Iran. "The statements of certain western officials show that contrary to their absurd claims, westerners are disqualified, and impetuous, lacking any cultural background," said Asefi on Wednesday. Asefi said, "The statements heard these days openly negate what the West has been falsely defending under the guise of democracy and campaign against terrorism. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not give up its legal right to have peaceful nuclear technology." --SPA 13 11 Local Time 10 11 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/329152