Making his debut appearance on the international stage, Ahmadinejad, who was initially denied a US visa to attend the UN summit in New York, had been expected to unveil new initiatives aimed at resolving the nuclear row with the United States and the European Union.

Instead he lectured his audience on the perfidious behaviour of nations who believe they have a "license" to employ pre-emptive polices in what he branded a "modern manifestation of interventionism and war-mongering."

US and EU officials are hoping to use the three-day gathering of heads of state to rally support for possible UN sanctions against Iran for resuming sensitive work on uranium conversion that could be used to develop nuclear weapons.

As a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran insists it is allowed to make nuclear fuel and Ahmadinejad took a swipe at UN members who felt their wealth and power gave them "extended rights" not accorded to other countries.

"The acceptance of unilateralism is exactly the negation of the United Nations and its raison d'etre," he said. "The United Nations in its entity should confront this vicious malady."

Iran resumed converting uranium last month in violation of a deal reached with Britain, France and Germany.

Before Ahmadinejad's speech, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin had reiterated EU warnings that Iran's failure to keep its nuclear non-proliferation promises would see it hauled before the UN Security Council.

"If a State fails in its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is legitimate, once dialogue has been exhausted, to refer it to the Security Council," Villepin said during a summit meeting on peace and security.

Iran has already threatened "consequences" if the issue goes to the Council, playing on fears of yet more instability in the Middle East and concerns that already-high oil prices could surge even more.

Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has urged the United States to give Iran one last chance to halt its nuclear activities, rather than demanding immediate Security Council action.

In a telephone conversation last week with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, ElBaradei said it would be better to give Iran a deadline for ceasing uranium conversion work, rather than going for sanctions now, as the IAEA board is split over the issue, a diplomat close to the agency told

Senior US delegates were notably absent from their seats during Ahmadinejad's summit speech, leaving only two lower-ranking officials who took notes.

The Iranian president, who delivered his address in a rapid monotone, took the chance to chastise the US government over the problems with his visa.

"The host country should not enjoy any rights or privileges over the rest of the membership, and the (UN) organisation and its headquarters must be easily accessible to all," he said.

The US Department of Homeland Security had declined to issue the president a visa because of suspicions he was involved in the 1979 seizure of diplomats at the US embassy in Tehran.

The State Department eventually intervened to allow his visit, but made it clear that "unresolved questions" remained about Ahmadinejad's militant past.

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