Kanaani made the comments on Friday on social media platform
Paley claimed that Iran's elections "were neither fair nor free" nor did they lead to any "fundamental change in the direction of the country," launching a series of accusations against the Iranian government, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Kanaani said Paley's comments were "blatant and absurd interference," adding that U.S. officials would accomplish nothing with such "pointless" statements.
He stressed that "the Iranian people in these elections will respond firmly to such interventionist comments through their effective participation and energetic presence at the polling stations."
Kanaani added that people around the world have witnessed the impacts and results of "American diplomacy" within the United States and in other parts of the world and have tasted its "bitter taste."
He said that the "direct and genuine" role of the people in deciding their political destiny in Iran has always been demonstrated in practice, stressing that the validity and health of the elections in Iran have been demonstrated in the previous electoral processes of the country.
Iran's 14th presidential election, initially scheduled for 2025, was rescheduled following the unexpected death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Paley claimed that candidates in Iran's elections had been "carefully chosen" by the country's Constitutional Council and that the Iranian people "lack access to even the most basic freedoms; necessary features of any democracy."
The four candidates competing in the elections are Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of parliament; Saeed Jalili, former chief negotiator of the nuclear talks; Mostafa Pourmohammadi, former Minister of the Interior and Minister of Justice; and Masoud Pezeshkian, former Minister of Health.
Paley claimed that Iran's elections "were neither fair nor free" nor did they lead to any "fundamental change in the direction of the country," launching a series of accusations against the Iranian government, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Kanaani said Paley's comments were "blatant and absurd interference," adding that U.S. officials would accomplish nothing with such "pointless" statements.
He stressed that "the Iranian people in these elections will respond firmly to such interventionist comments through their effective participation and energetic presence at the polling stations."
Kanaani added that people around the world have witnessed the impacts and results of "American diplomacy" within the United States and in other parts of the world and have tasted its "bitter taste."
He said that the "direct and genuine" role of the people in deciding their political destiny in Iran has always been demonstrated in practice, stressing that the validity and health of the elections in Iran have been demonstrated in the previous electoral processes of the country.
Iran's 14th presidential election, initially scheduled for 2025, was rescheduled following the unexpected death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Paley claimed that candidates in Iran's elections had been "carefully chosen" by the country's Constitutional Council and that the Iranian people "lack access to even the most basic freedoms; necessary features of any democracy."
The four candidates competing in the elections are Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of parliament; Saeed Jalili, former chief negotiator of the nuclear talks; Mostafa Pourmohammadi, former Minister of the Interior and Minister of Justice; and Masoud Pezeshkian, former Minister of Health.
