Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has accused the United States of leading the world down a "dangerous path."
In an interview with Eritrean television aired late Sunday, President Afwerki said the U.S. is fueling conflicts around the world as part of a strategy of monopoly and dominance.
He specifically accused Washington of backing what he called Ethiopian aggression against Eritrea and in Somalia.
The comments come a few days after the top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, said the U.S. may add Eritrea to its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
A report by U.N. experts last month said Eritrea is providing weapons to Islamist insurgents in Somalia. Eritrea denies that allegation.
US-Eritrean relations have been generally poor in recent years. Eritrea says the U.S. has done too little to make Ethiopia accept a 2002 border ruling that was designed to end a long-running boundary dispute.
The tension has risen in recent months as the conflict in Somalia escalates. The United States has supported Ethiopia's attempts to help the Somali interim government, while criticizing Eritrea's alleged efforts to help the insurgents.
The tension has affected diplomatic relations in more basic ways as well. In February, the U.S. embassy in Asmara accused Eritrean authorities of blocking diplomatic pouches containing sensitive documents. And last week, the U.S. government ordered the closure of an Eritrean consulate in the state of California.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
