We report on an optical frequency standard at λ 612 nm, which takes the form of a He-Ne laser stabilized with respect to molecular iodine by means of frequency modulation spectroscopy. The measured frequency stability was 8,7 10 -13 for sampling times between 10 -3 s and 10 3 s, and the estimated reproducibility was 1,2 kHz. Spectroscopy of the R(47) 9-2 transition was performed, and iodine hyperfine constants were calculated.