Iran has slammed a new US law, intended to curb Iran's influence in Latin America.
President Obama signed the "Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act" last week, which gave the US State Department 180 days to develop a plan to "address Iran's growing hostile presence and activity".
Iran's spokesperson for the foreign ministry, Ramin Mehmanparast, told reporters that the US "still lives in the Cold War era and considers Latin America as its back yard".
"It is an overt intervention in Latin American affairs... that shows they are not familiar with new world relations," he said.
"We recommend that they respect the nations' right in today's world... world public opinion does not accept such an interventionist move."
The new law also calls on the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen US borders with Canada and Mexico, to "prevent operatives from Iran, the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps], its Quds Force, Hezbollah or any other terrorist organization from entering the Untied States."
However, senior State Department and intelligence officials have indicated there are currently no apparent hostile activities by Iran in Latin America.
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