United Nations (Al Arabiya, Agencies)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad steered away from his country’s nuclear program and the political crisis following last June’s elections, which he described as “glorious,” in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly late on Wednesday.
In his speech Ahmadinejad said Iran strongly defended its legitimate and legal right—a phrase he often uses in connection with the right to nuclear power. He did not directly mention Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West, which accuses Iran of covertly trying to acquire atomic bomb.
Protests held in front of the hotel housing Iranian delegates for the UN General Assembly in New Yor Ahmadinejad called for the "eradication of arms race and elimination of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to pave the way for all nations to have access to advanced and peaceful technologies."
"Our nation is prepared to warmly shake all those hands which are honestly extended to us," he said in a speech that lacked the fireworks of his previous appearances at the United Nations, or even that of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who spoke for an hour and 35 minutes earlier in the day.
In a clear reference to the United States, Ahmadinejad also attacked "some who are several thousands of kilometers away from the Middle East" who send troops for "spreading war, bloodshed, aggression, terror and intimidation."
Ahmadinejad again took aim at Israel without mentioning the country or Jews by name, referring only to the "Zionist regime."
But it was less provocative than some of his past diatribes notably steering clear of any mention of the Holocaust.
Several delegations to the UN General Assembly, including the United States and France, walked out of the annual meeting during the speech of Ahmadinejad.
Meanwhile, the Iranian leader said his country had "gone through a glorious and fully-democratic election, opening a new chapter for our country in the march towards national progress," hours after protesters gathered outside Iran's U.N. mission to accuse him of stealing the June election.
Following the elections dozens of protesters were reportedly killed and hundreds were detained by the government’s security forces. Defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi and other opposition figures in the country claimed many detainees were subject to rape and torture inside prisons. |
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Growing pressure Member of the German delegation walks out as Ahmadinejad speaks Ahead of Ahmadinejad’s UN speech, world powers leading talks to rein in Iran's suspect nuclear ambitions upped the pressure on the Islamic republic, as momentum grew toward imposing new sanctions.
U.S. President Barack Obama said he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed that further U.N. sanctions will be considered if Iran does not respond to proposals to end a nuclear standoff.
Medvedev made clear that Moscow was ready to back further sanctions against the Islamic Republic unless it changes course on its nuclear program, despite Russia's general reluctance to support such punitive measures.
"Russia's position is simple," he said. "Sanctions are seldom productive but they are sometimes inevitable."
Earlier, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the U.N. General Assembly that Iran would be making a "tragic mistake" if it thought the world would not respond to its nuclear program.
The six powers that met at the United Nations have offered Iran economic and political incentives if it stops enriching uranium, but Tehran has yet to officially reply. In a television interview, Sarkozy said Iran has until December to respond. |
