Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, claiming his country is under threat from what he called "uncivilized Zionists", euronews.com reported.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama told the UN "time is not unlimited" to resolve the crisis over Iran's nuclear program through diplomacy.

Obama said the United States respected the right of countries to access peaceful nuclear power but that a nuclear-armed Iran "would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of [Persian] Gulf nations, and the stability of the global economy."

Israel has threatened a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Under increasing pressure over Iran's nuclear program, Ahmadinejad also said big powers were trying to force smaller ones into submission.

"The arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction by the hegemonic powers have become prevalent," he said.

"Testing new generations of ultra-modern weaponry and a pledge to disclose these armaments in due time is now being used as a new language of threats against nations to coerce them into accepting a new era of hegemony."

Earlier this week, Ahmadinejad outraged many by saying Israel would eventually be "eliminated" and many delegates walked out during his speech in which he also accused the West of ignoring the people.

"The will and views of the masses have the least impact and influence on the big decisions, especially those made about the major domestic and foreign policies in the U.S. and in Europe," he said. "Their voices are not heard even if they constitute 99% of their societies."

This should be Ahmadinejad's last speech to the UN as he is on his second term in office and under Iranian law cannot stand for a third when voters go to the polls to elect a new president next year.

However, after Ahmadinejad's first address to the UN twenty six members of the Iranian parliament expressed negative reaction towards the Iranian president's remarks in New York, Mehr news agency reported.

The parliament members said that Ahmadinejad's statements are "incompatible with dignity, strategy, policy and wisdom of the Islamic Republic".

At a later press conference, Ahmadinejad added through an interpreter: "We are ready for a dialogue [with the United States] and a resolution of problems.... We have never had any problems with the people of the United States."

Reportedly, the MPs will issue a protest regarding Ahmadinejad's statements that he made on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

Ahmadinejad has met with US universities' students and academicians and said that Iran-U.S. relations should be improved, the president's website said earlier on Wednesday.

"I am among those that believe the situation between two great, powerful countries, Iran and U.S., can be improved," Ahmadinejad said. "Had the relations between Iran and U.S. been better throughout 33 years, the situation would have been different today."

The Iranian president spoke of what he believes would be the steps to take for normalizing the relations between Iran and the U.S.

He said that if the U.S. starts trusting Iran, does not threaten it, accepts the fact that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program continues, and resolves the outstanding financial issues, there will be a way for stabilizing bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered at a plaza near the United Nations office in protest at the Iranian government.

Syrians also protested Iran's support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.