Amir Abdollahian made the remarks during a phone conversation with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong on Wednesday.

Thanking the Australian diplomat for her congratulations on the occasion of Nowruz, Amir Abdollahian underscored the importance of the path of diplomacy and dialog.

Iran's minister said Tehran considers ties with Canberra as important, adding that there are diverse areas in which the two sides can cooperate at the bilateral, regional and international levels.

Elsewhere, the Iranian official stated that the IRGC is the "most powerful force" in the fight against the Daesh and other terrorist groups in the region and has played a "key role in resorting regional stability and security".

He also pointed to the presence of one of the leaders of the Al-Ahwaziyeh terrorist group in Australia, adding that the terror group is accused of assassinating Iranian civilians.

Iranian officials have repeatedly lashed out at the US and certain Eauropean countries for sheltering and supporting terrorist groups.

Wong, for her part, called for the continuation of dialogue and diplomacy between Australia and Iran.

The foreign minister stated that Canberra believes the door for diplomacy must remain open in order to resolve misunderstandings

She also welcomed the continuation of dialogues between Iran and the West, as well as the cooperation between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), describing it as constructive.

It comes months after the European Parliament adopted an amendment, calling on the European Union and its member states to include the IRGC on their terror list. It also passed another resolution later, calling for more sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities and putting the IRGC on the EU terrorist list over alleged human rights violations during the recent riots.

The EU has not acted on the decision, arguing that the bloc lacks the necessary legal basis for such designation. However, it has imposed sanctions against a number of Iranian officials and entities for what it claims to be a crackdown on the recent foreign-backed unrest, which were triggered after the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran in September.

The move has been strongly condemned by Iranian officials, commanders and the Armed Forces.

Tehran has repeatedly announced that the IRGC is an official state body which has had and will continue to have an important and key role in ensuring the security of Iran and the region.

Iranian officials have warned the EU that its plan to blacklist the IRGC as a “terrorist organization” may have unbearable consequences, urging Europe to avoid repeating the past mistakes.

They cautioned the European governments against falling into the trap of a plot hatched by the US and Israel, calling on the EU to maintain its independence from the US.

Tehran stresses the European states enjoy safety because of the elite forces' efforts in the fight against terror groups in the region.

In April 2019, the Iranian parliament passed a law designating American forces in West Asia, known as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), as a terrorist organization. The move was made in response to the US blacklisting of the IRGC.