Iran must be addressed with respect, as it is a living civilisation and a great nation with an enduring place in world history, Tourism Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri says in response to remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the wars involving Iran and Greece, IRNA reports.

In a statement responding to Rubio’s remarks at the Acropolis in Athens, Salehi-Amiri said late Friday that a nation’s deep-rooted identity cannot be reduced to a single war, king, or government.

“Iran cannot be defined by one war, one king or one government,” he said, describing Iran as one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations and a major contributor to the development of order, culture, knowledge, and coexistence throughout human history