Iran on 13 February issued a strong denial of US allegations that it is sheltering Al-Qaeda terrorists. 'Iran's seriousness in fighting against terrorism and expelling those suspected of links to Al-Qaeda has always been clear, transparent and sincere,' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi. Washington has accused Iran on several occasions of harbouring Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters driven out of Afghanistan, and of attempting to destabilise the regime of Hamid Karzai. On 11 February, in his briefing to the Senate Intelligence Committee, CIA director George Tenet again made the allegation. 'We see disturbing signs that Al-Qaeda has established a presence in both Iran and Iraq,' he said.