Region | Iran
Iran hit with new US, UN deadline
The United States and other major powers on Wednesday demanded Iran ready a "serious response" by October 1 to demands it halt its nuclear programme or face serious consequences.
- Agencies
- Published: 22:41 September 24, 2009
United Nations: The United States and other major powers on Wednesday demanded Iran ready a "serious response" by October 1 to demands it halt its nuclear programme or face serious consequences.
The demand from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany came after US President Barack Obama made his maiden appearance at the UN General Assembly, urging world leaders to stop blaming America and join him in confronting world issues including Iran's nuclear plans.
"We expect a serious response from Iran and will decide, in the context of our dual track approach, as a result of the meeting, on our next steps," British Foreign Minister David Miliband said, reading a statement agreed by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in his own UN address, did not directly mention the nuclear issue.
However, the Iranian leader delivered his usual tough rhetoric on Israel, accusing it of "inhuman policies" in the Palestinian territories and of dominating world political and economic affairs.
US and British officials in the assembly hall left at the time of Ahmadinejad's comments about Israel.
"It is disappointing that Ahmadinejad has once again chosen to espouse hateful, offensive and anti-Semitic rhetoric," US mission spokesman Mark Kornblau said in a statement.
Just hours after protesters gathered outside Iran's UN mission to accuse him of stealing Iran's June election, Ahmadinejad hailed the "glorious and fully democratic" poll which "entrusted me once more with a large majority."
Obama, in his first speech to the assembly since taking office in January, pledged US global engagement but said the United States could not shoulder the responsibility alone.
"Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone," Obama said.
Obama also pledged to work with allies to strengthen financial regulation to "put an end to the greed, excess and abuse that led us into disaster."
Obama was among the first major speakers at the gathering, which brings more than 100 heads of state and government together to air issues ranging from nuclear proliferation and international terrorism to climate change and global poverty.
Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, delivering his own inaugural UN address, took a swipe at the veto power wielded by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
He called the group the "terror council" and demanded it be scrapped.
Obama has brought a new tone in US foreign policy, stressing cooperation and consultation over the unilateralism of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Despite Obama's global popularity, the new approach has delivered few concrete foreign policy achievements.
However, both Russian and US officials signalled the two sides may be moving closer on how to deal with Iran's nuclear programme.
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