Addressing the General Assembly in New York on September 23, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran supported dialogue but would not accept “illegal demands”.

Western nations suspect Iran aims to create a nuclear weapons capability - a claim Tehran denies.

Iran is in breach of three UN security council resolutions demanding the end of its uranium enrichment programme.

Officials of the five permanent Security Council members, plus Germany, had planned to meet this week on the fringe of general-assembly gatherings to discuss further sanctions against Iran.

However, on September 23 diplomats said the meeting may not take place because Russia did not think the timing was right. Moscow said at the weekend that it saw no need for further sanctions against Iran.

President Ahmadinejad accused the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of being “aggressors” in Iraq and Afghanistan, and of starting wars “in order to win votes in elections”.

Earlier on September 22, Iran was asked by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for a full response to concerns about its nuclear programme.

The agency's head, Mohamed El Baradei, said that without more information from Iran, the IAEA could not provide assurances.