London  - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Sunday rejected comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki alleging that Britain was stirring protests over the outcome of Iran's June 12 presidential election.

In a deepening diplomatic row - earlier Sunday the Iranian parliament voted to start studying a possible revision of Tehran's ties with Britain, France and Germany - Miliband suggested that Mottaki was trying to divert attention from Iran's internal problems.

"Foreign Minister Mottaki's attempt... to turn the dispute among Iranians about the election results into a battle between Iran and other countries - the UK in particular - is without foundation," he said.

"I reject categorically the idea that the protesters in Iran are manipulated or motivated by foreign countries. The UK is categorical that it is for the Iranian people to choose their government, and for the Iranian authorities to ensure the fairness of the result and the protection of their own people," Miliband said.

"I therefore deplore the continuing violence against those seeking to exercise their right of expression. This can only damage Iran's standing in the eyes of the world," he added.

Earlier, Mottaki in a meeting with diplomats in Tehran reportedly singled out France, Germany, Britain and the US for pursuing wrong policies in the region.

According to comments reported by Press Association, Mottaki alleged that "Great Britain has plotted against the presidential election for more than two years. We witnessed an influx of people before the election. Elements linked to the British secret service were flying in in droves."

The diplomatic war of words also comes amid media developments in which British Broadcasting Corporation BBC said its Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne, had been asked by Iranian authorities to leave. But the BBC office would remain open, the broadcaster said. (dpa)