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"No offer has been made by the Islamic Republic of Iran to America," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamidreza Asefi said.
Instead, Tehran had only responded to a request, made by the American government through the Swiss embassy, for the Islamic Republic's help to U.S. troops in cases of a crash or forced landing on the Iranian territory, he said.
"It was announced in response that Iran would act according to international regulations and conventions," Asefi added.
Powell said Wednesday that Iran had said through diplomatic back-channels that it "would be willing to perform and ready to perform search and rescue missions" for U.S. troops should they require it in ground operations, he said.
"There has been no word on the issue of ground operations," Asefi said.
"As it has been repeatedly reiterated, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers military operations in Afghanistan unacceptable, since they lead to the killing of innocent people and further destruction ofthat country," the Iranian official said.
Iran has had no diplomatic relations with the U.S. which severed its ties after the students stormed the American embassy in Tehran in 1979 and took its staff hostage for 444.
Washington is represented by the Swiss embassy which takes care of the American interests in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic was swift to condemn the terror attacks on Washington and New York, but has denounced the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan, saying civilians would be the ones to bear the brunt.
Iran, instead, has called for an international campaign against terrorism under the leadership of the United Nations.
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