TEHERAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied the West’s charge that Tehran aims to develop nuclear weapons under a covert programme. “They falsely accuse the Islamic republic of producing nuclear weapons. We fundamentally reject nuclear weapons and prohibit the production and the use of nuclear weapons,” Khamenei said in a speech broadcast by state television.

“They know themselves that it’s not true ... but it is part of Iran-phobia policy that controls the behaviour of these arrogant governments today.” The comments came ahead of a meeting in two weeks between Iran and six world powers which have demanded Tehran halt its uranium enrichment programme.

Iran has so far defied the demand, insisting its programme is for peaceful nuclear energy. It denies accusations by the United States, European powers and Israel that it is covertly seeking to build a nuclear weapon.

The comments by Khamenei came after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that Iran must answer “head on” concerns about its nuclear programme at the meeting with world powers.

Khamenei who was speaking two days after the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day, on which Iran held a rally cross the country, referred to Israel as a “counterfeit government”.

Iran has in the past boasted test-firing ground-to-ground missiles with a range of almost 2,000 kilometres, enough to strike Israel.