Iran: US should be punished for nuclear threats

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday called for states that threaten to use atomic weapons to be punished, a clear reference to a new U.S. nuclear strategy released last month.

Speaking at a meeting of the 189 signatories of the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he urged "considering any threat to use nuclear weapons or attack against peaceful nuclear facilities as a breach of international peace and security."

The delegations of the United States, Britain and France all walked out of the U.N. General Assembly chamber during the Iranian president's speech.

Ahmadinejad rejected allegations his country is developing nuclear weapons, citing "not a single credible proof."

He says such atomic weapons are an encouragement to other countries to develop similar arsenals. He is calling for a timetable for elimination of nuclear arms worldwide.

The Iranian leader earlier said Western powers were not seeking to build trust with the Islamic republic, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"We should not offer ways to obtain their trust as Iran abides by the international law and acts within its framework," Ahmadinejad said as he landed at New York's JFK airport.

Iran will put forward "practical and fair" proposals on disarmament and world security at the meeting of Ahmadinejad said.

"Disarmament and the peaceful application of nuclear energy are two important world topics. The Islamic Republic regards disarmament as an influential topic in world peace and will follow up on that," Ahmadinejad added, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

He argued that for the past 60 years "we have (had) no disarmament or non-proliferation and some countries have even procured the nuclear bomb during this period."

U.S. President Barack Obama came to office promising to restore U.S. credibility on non-proliferation.

Disarmament and the peaceful application of nuclear energy are two important world topics. The Islamic Republic regards disarmament as an influential topic in world peace and will follow up on that

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

“Confusing the issue”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had warned that Iran will try to divert attention from its violations against laws controlling the spread of nuclear weapons.

The NPT review is an attempt to tighten up the non-proliferation regime, which is based on monitoring national nuclear programs as well as promoting both disarmament and the peaceful use of atomic energy.

Clinton told the NBC television network Sunday that she thought the Iranians were going "to try... confuse the issue," that their country is under U.N. sanctions to rein in its nuclear program to allay fears it seeks the bomb.

"They have violated the terms of the NPT" by hiding sensitive nuclear work and continuing to enrich uranium, a potential weapons material, Clinton said.

"We're not going to permit Iran to try to change the story from their failure to comply" or upset efforts "to get the international community to adopt a strong Security Council resolution that further isolates them and imposes consequences for their behavior," she said.

We're not going to permit Iran to try to change the story from their failure to comply or upset efforts to get the international community to adopt a strong Security Council resolution that further isolates them and imposes consequences for their behavior

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton