Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Thursday berated the United Nations Security Council as a "flagrant form of dictatorship" while terming the United States and its Western allies as "bullies" trying to monopolise nuclear fuel production, as he asserted Teheran's right to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
The Iranian supreme leader, who enjoys almost absolute power in the country, was addressing the leaders and delegates from over 50 countries participating in the 16th Non-Aligned Summit in Teheran.
Contending that the control room of the world should not be managed by the "dictatorial will of a few Western countries", he sought the establishment of a participatory system for managing international affairs, one that is "global and democratic".
"The UN Security Council has an illogical, unjust and completely undemocratic structure and mechanism. This is a flagrant form of dictatorship, which is antiquated and obsolete and whose expiry date has passed," he told an audience which also included UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Without mincing words, Khamenei added, "It is through abusing this improper mechanism that America and its accomplices have managed to disguise their bullying as noble concepts and impose it on the world.
"They protect the interests of the West in the name of 'human rights'. They interfere militarily in other countries in the name of 'democracy'."
He alleged that torture and assassination are permissible and completely ignored if they are carried out by "America, the Zionists and their puppets".
Speaking on the contentious nuclear issue, he said that those who stockpile their "anti-human' weapons in their arsenals do not have the right to declare themselves as standard-bearers of global security".
He said Iran considers the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons as a "great and unforgivable sin" and has even proposed the idea of a "Middle East free of nuclear weapons."
"This does not mean forgoing our right to peaceful use of nuclear power and production of nuclear fuel. On the basis of international laws, peaceful use of nuclear energy is a right of every country.
"All should be able to employ this wholesome source of energy for various vital uses for the benefit of their country and people, without having to depend on others for exercising this right," Khamenei said on nuclear energy.
Khamenei stressed that Iran has never been after nuclear weapons and that it will never give up the right of its people to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
He, however, said international peace and security are among the critical issues of today's world and the elimination of catastrophic weapons of mass destruction is an urgent necessity and a universal demand.
"It is most unfortunate to see that countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals have no serious and genuine intention of removing these deadly weapons from their military doctrines and they still consider such weapons as an instrument that dispels threats and as an important standard that defines their political and international position. This conception needs to be completely rejected and condemned," he said.
Without directly naming anyone, he said some of the Western countries who themselves possess nuclear weapons and are "guilty" of this illegal action, "want to monopolise the production of nuclear fuel".
"Surreptitious moves are underway to consolidate a permanent monopoly over production and sale of nuclear fuel in centers carrying an international label but in fact within the control of a few Western countries," he said in what was clearly meant for the US.
He said it was a "bitter irony" that the US government, "which possesses the largest and deadliest stockpiles of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction and the only country guilty of its use", is today eager to carry the banner of opposition to nuclear proliferation.
"The US and its Western allies have armed the usurper Zionist regime with nuclear weapons and created a major threat for this sensitive region. Yet the same deceitful group does not tolerate the peaceful use of nuclear energy by independent countries, and even opposes, with all its strength, the production of nuclear fuel for radiopharmaceuticals and other peaceful and humane purposes.
"Their pretext is fear of production of nuclear weapons. In the case of the Islamic Republic of Iran, they themselves know that they are lying," he said.
Khamenei also raised the Palestinian issue and called Israel a "ferocious Zionist wolf".
He said Palestinians, including Muslims, Christians and Jews should take part in a carefully supervised and confidence-building referendum and choose the political system of their country.
He said the Palestinians in exile should return to their country and take part in this referendum and then help draft a Constitution and hold elections.
Asking the US to pay heed to his advice, he said the regime (Israel) has created countless problems for Washington.
"It has presented a hateful image of you to the regional peoples, and it has made you look like an accomplice in the crimes of the usurping Zionists. The material and moral costs borne by the American government and people on account of this are staggering, and if this continues, the costs might become even heavier in the future," he said.
Khamenei added, "Think about the Islamic Republic's proposal of a referendum and with a courageous decision, rescue yourselves from the current impossible situation. Undoubtedly, the people of the region and all free-thinkers across the world will welcome this measure".