Wednesday, September 20 2006 14:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: Launching a scathing attack on the United States, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said the US and its western allies were 'abusing' the United Nations to deny Tehran its right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly last night, Ahmadinejad questioned the United States' right to criticize his country's 'peaceful nuclear' programme while itself maintaining its nuclear arsenal and with its "bleak record" of using them.

That is the double standard, he said from the same rostrum from which American President George W Bush a few hours earlier had accused the Iranian leadership of squandering resources on the nuclear pursuit, which Washington and its allies maintain is aimed a making nuclear weapons and hence must be curbed.

His address held out no hope for Iran suspending its uranium enrichment programme which the Security Council wants it to abandon on the pain of unspecified threat with the United States pressing for sanctions to force it to do so.

"The abuse of the Security Council, as an instrument of threat and coercion, is indeed a source of grave concern," Ahmadinejad said in his presentation which comes even as the Council is expected to hold a high-level meeting sometime this week to consider what action should be taken in view of its refusal to comply with the demand.