"The terrible death toll and destruction caused by this quake was made far worse by the destructive policy of the regime of the Mullahs," the group said in a statement.

Iran, it said, "has taken no preventative measures to prevent large scale casualties."

The quake, which struck the historic city of Bam in southeast Iran on Friday killing at least 22,000 people, was a "national disaster", the statement added.

The statement was attributed to Maryam Radjavi, the wife of the group's leader, Massoud Radjavi. She is seen by the People's Mujahadeen as the "future president of Iran".

The European Union last year declared the People's Mujahedeen a terrorist organisation.

TERRA.WIRE