TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's president said Monday that leaked American diplomatic memos recounting Arab calls for the U.S. to launch a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities were intended to stir "mischief."
According to the memos released Sunday by online whistle-blower Wikileaks, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran to destroy its nuclear program to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
"We don't give any value to these documents," Ahmadinejad told a news conference. "It's without legal value. Iran and regional states are friends. Such acts of mischief have no impact on relations between nations."
Ahmadinejad alleged the leaks were an "organized" effort by the U.S. to stir trouble between Iran and Arab neighbors.
Arab nations just across the Persian Gulf are known to be wary of Iran's rising regional influence, military power and nuclear activity. The leaked documents, however, reveal a much higher degree of alarm in the calls for U.S. military action.
The U.S. has helped several Arab nations in the Gulf increase their anti-missile defenses and itself has a naval presence in the region.
Ahmadinejad questioned the credibility of the information contained in the U.S. documents and accused the American government of pursuing a strategy resembling "an intelligence and psychological war game."
He asserted it was aimed at having a "political impact" but would fail.
"Nations are aware. Such a game will have no effect. It's so worthless that it isn't worth someone referring to them or wasting time to refer to them."
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