An Iranian state company offered on Monday to help in preventing a vast oil slick that is moving toward the coast of the United States, the Islamic Republic's old foe, from causing an "ecological disaster."

Haidar Bahmani, managing director of the National Iranian Drilling Company, said his firm was ready to provide assistance in fighting the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Oil Ministry's website SHANA reported.

Since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank last month, claiming 11 lives, hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude have been gushing into the Gulf, threatening wildlife and beaches.

"Our oil industry experts can curb the rig leakage in the Gulf of Mexico and prevent an ecological disaster in that part of the world," Bahmani said, without giving further details.

Iran, the world's fifth-largest crude exporter, is under U.S. and U.N. sanctions for nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making bombs. Tehran rejects the charge.