The President of Iran has accused the West of manipulating the UN Security Council in a bid to prevent his country developing nuclear technology. In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended Iran's uranium enrichment activities, condemned by the West as a weapons programme.

Tehran has ignored an ultimatum from the UN, demanding that it stop enrichment by August 31.

There were empty chairs in the chamber. The US and Israel boycotted Ahmadinejad's speech. He used the occasion to launch a further attack on Israel, claiming the state benefits from unjust global support. The US is at the forefront of calls for sanctions to be imposed if Tehran continues to stall over the UN's demands. But, with international backing for punitive measures looking increasingly shaky, George W. Bush stressed that he would prefer the crisis to be solved diplomatically.

This would allow more time for negotiation by the EU. French President Jacques Chirac used the occasion to call for an international summit to map out a new future for the Middle East. The US President is facing growing criticism over his foreign policy.

Scores of protesters gathered outside the UN building in New York to voice their disapproval. Others demanded that US involvement in Iraq be ended immediately, before they were eventually removed by police.

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