A top Iranian official says that of the two candidates in the U.S. presidential race, Barack Obama seems be "more rational" than his opponent John McCain, the Associated Press reported.
Ali Larijani was speaking to reporters in the Bahraini capital of Manama during a visit to the small Gulf state he said was aimed at building closer relations with Iran's neighbors.
Larijani, a powerful politician with close ties to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has criticized the U.S. for "exaggerating some minor issues between the countries of the region so that the differences appear to be insurmountable."
He added that Iran was ready to enter into security and economic agreements with neighboring countries.
The U.S. has accused Iran for destabilizing neighboring Iraq by supporting Shiite extremists - a charge Tehran denies.