including the Supreme Leader, over human rights and “insulting and provocative” language toward Israel, according to Ban’s spokesman Martin Nesirky.
The Supreme Leader had called Israel a “cancer gland” and a “made-up regime.”
Ban’s private comments with the Supreme Leader and other high-ranking Iranian officials, including President Ahmadi-nejad, came in addition to his public speech at the summit in which he raised concerns about human rights and nuclear proliferation.
The Secretary-General’s spokesman Martin Nesirky talked to reporters via telephone after Ban’s meeting with the Supreme Leader and said the two leaders had “comprehensive and important” discussions about Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the P5+1, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany. Nesirky said Ban expressed concern over the slow pace of negotiations and asked Iran to do more to satisfy UN nuclear inspectors about its nuclear program.
In response, the Supreme Leader said Iran prefers “a Middle East free of nuclear weapons,” Iranian media reported.
“The UN’s composition is flawed, because bullies that possess nuclear weapons with a history of using them control the Security Council,” Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted Khamenehi as having told Ban.
“The IAEA, owing to its charter, is obligated to offer Iran technical know-how. It has not only failed to do that, but has always obstructed [Iran’s plans],” he was quoted as saying.
Ban’s visit to Iran was criticized by Israel and the US, which said that he was playing into the hands of Iran by attending an event that Iran was using to raise its diplomatic profile.
Ban strongly defended his trip, saying it is part of his job as the leader of the world body. “I think it should not have been controversial,” he said, adding, “As a secretary-general of the United Nations, I have a mandate to engage with all the member states of the United Nations.”
“I believe in the power of diplomacy and I believe in dialogues and I believe in engagement. This is exactly what I did during my visit to Tehran,” Ban told Reuters.
Twenty-four presidents and three kings were among the heads of state that attended the NAM summit in Tehran on August 30, according to conservative Iranian website Tabnak.
The summit was the biggest gathering of international dignitaries in the Islamic Republic’s 33-year history and, while it was hailed as a major diplomatic success, the summit also had some embarrassing moments that reflected negatively on Iran. Egyptian President Morsi, whose attendance was considered a diplomatic win for Iran, criticized Iranian ally Syria’s human rights records and expressed his support for the rebels trying to oust Assad.
In an awkward twist of events, an Iranian interpreter substituted the word “Syria” with “Bahrain” in the live telecast of Morsi’s speech, prompting strong Bahraini protests and a call for Tehran to apologize. Iran hasn’t yet apologized.
Morsi met with President Ahmadi-nejad and his delegation of Egyptian diplomatic officials met with their Iranian counterparts. The Egyptian delegation “stressed Iran’s important role in the region” and “stressed the necessity for stronger cooperation” between the two countries, according to the official Fars News Agency.
Morsi officially handed over the presidency of NAM to Iran. NAM is a group of 120 member states that do not consider themselves as aligned with any major power bloc. It was formed in 1961 as a response to the American and Soviet spheres of influence.
During the NAM summit, life in large parts of Tehran came to a standstill in an attempt to curb the capital’s notorious traffic and facilitate with the movements of the diplomats. Residents had a five-day holiday and government buildings and banks were closed for the period as residents were encouraged to leave the city and 110,000 security servicemen were called to enhance security of the capital.
A stricter lockdown was imposed on Tehran on Thursday, the day when the Egyptian president and UN secretary-general arrived for the summit. Several of Tehran’s most important highways were completely blocked off from normal traffic.
City workers also beautified the capital for the comfort of the dignitaries, painting lampposts and curbs and decorating major expressways with floral arrangements. Banners in Farsi, Arabic and English said “welcome” to the foreign dignitaries.