British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said this morning a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad affirming Tehran's plans to go ahead with making nuclear fuel was disappointing.
"This was a disappointing and unhelpful speech by President Ahmadinejad," Mr Straw told BBC TV in an interview.
Mr Ahmadinejad made his comments in a speech to the UN General Assembly yesterday, just two days before a critical meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna.
Washington and its allies in the European Union who fear Iran's nuclear programme could be used to make atomic weapons would like the IAEA board of governors to refer Iran to the UN Security Council tomorrow to face punitive action.
But many non-Western countries such as Russia, China, India and South Africa are reluctant to back referral of Iran's case.
Mr Straw said he would continue to pursue diplomatic means to resolve the row over Iran's nuclear ambitions but was dismissive of Mr Ahmadinejad's offer to cooperate with the IAEA.
"Offering to be transparent now is simply saying you are going to be compliant and really accepting you have not been compliant (with IAEA demands) in the past," said Mr Straw.