Ahmadinejad slams West`s nuclear `intimidation`

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26: Iran`s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday accused the West of nuclear `intimidation` in his final speech to the UN General Assembly which was boycotted by the United States and Israel.

But the Iranian president steered clear of the toxic remarks about Israel which have sparked mass walkouts at his previous seven appearances before the UN summit.

`Arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass-destruction by the hegemonic powers have become prevalent,` Ahmadinejad said in a rare outburst in the rambling 35 minute speech.

`Continued threat by the uncivilised Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality, he added in his only reference to Israel.

The Iranian government faces mounting international pressure over its nuclear drive, which western powers say hides a bid to develop a nuclear bomb.

Iran denies the charge but there has been mounting speculation that Israel could launch a military strike against Iran`s bunkered nuclear facilities.

President Barack Obama told the UN assembly on Tuesday that the United States will `do what we must` to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Foreign ministers from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany will meet in New York on Thursday to discuss the increasingly tense nuclear showdown.

The United States boycotted the UN speech because of his attacks.

`Over the past couple of days, we`ve seen Mr Ahmadinejad once again use his trip to the UN not to address the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people but to instead spout paranoid theories and repulsive slurs against Israel,` said Erin Pelton, spokeswoman of the US mission to the United Nations.