TEHRAN: Iran accused the United States Sunday of being the world's main supporter of terrorism through its backing of Israel, and shrugged off fresh criticism from Washington as mere sour grapes. Responding to President George Bush's description of Iran as "the world's primary state sponsor of terror" and his pledge to stand by supporters of democracy in the Islamic republic, Hamid Reza Asefi, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Bush "doesn't have very good advisers". "America is the biggest supporter of a terrorist regime: Israel. And the one who supports terrorism cannot talk about human rights," he said, also reacting to US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's comment that the clerical regime was "something to be loathed". According to Asefi, the recent hardening of the tone from US officials was a case of "bitterness" coinciding with the February 10 anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution. "For Iranians, these days are full of nice memories and sweetness," Asefi said. "But for Americans, these days are painful because their days of dominating and bullying Iran were brought to an end." The spokesman said Iran was impervious to remarks by Rice who had accused Tehran's "un-elected mullahs" of a dismal human rights record and covering up attempts to build an atom bomb. "Such threats will not have much effect on the Islamic Republic and we will continue our path of sovereignty, independence and saying no to hegemony," said Asefi.