“We reject this biased, prejudiced and politicized report that has leveled groundless and unrealistic allegations of human trafficking against countries such as the Islamic Republic of Iran using unreliable sources and inaccurate information,” Bahram Ghasemi said in a statement issued on Monday.

“The US government is trying to divert the world’s attention from its interventionist and destabilizing policies which it is pursuing in earnest around the world, the West Asia region and Africa in particular, which pave the way for the formation and expansion of organized criminal human trafficking networks,” Ghasemi added.

Referring to the increasing international community’s concerns about human trafficking, especially trafficking of women and children, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman concluded “unilateral actions, including ranking countries in terms of organized crime, such as trafficking of human beings, and issuing biased and prejudiced reports against independent states not only contradict international rules and standards, but also undermine international efforts and efforts by governments to combat these crimes.”

Ghasemi stressed that “hence, the US government must be held responsible for its actions.”