The US and other major powers on Wednesday told Iran to prepare a “serious response” by Oct. 1 to demands it halt its nuclear program or risk the consequences.
The demand from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany came after US President Barack Obama made his first speech to the UN General Assembly, urging leaders to stop blaming the US and join him in confronting world issues including Iran’s nuclear plans.
“We expect a serious response from Iran and will decide, in the context of our dual track approach, as a result of the meeting, on our next steps,” British Foreign Minister David Miliband said, reading a statement agreed by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in his own UN address, did not directly mention the nuclear issue.
But the Iranian leader delivered his usual tough rhetoric on Israel, accusing it of “inhuman policies” in the Palestinian territories and of dominating world political and economic affairs.
US, Canadian and British officials in the assembly hall left at the time of Ahmadinejad’s comments about Israel.
Obama, in his first speech to the assembly since taking office in January, pledged US global engagement but said the US could not shoulder the responsibility alone.
Obama, who will host a G20 summit in Pittsburgh this week, also pledged to work with allies to strengthen financial regulation to “put an end to the greed, excess and abuse that led us into disaster.”
Obama was among the first major speakers at the gathering, which brings more than 100 heads of state and government together to air issues ranging from nuclear proliferation and international terrorism to climate change and global poverty.
Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, delivering his own inaugural UN address — lasting 95 minutes — took a swipe at the veto power wielded by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, calling it the “terror council.”
On Wednesday Russian and US officials signaled the two sides may be moving closer on how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said sanctions could be inevitable — a significant hardening of Moscow’s position.
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