UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26: Saying that he would disregard UN Security Council’s resolutions against Iran , President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that he considered the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme “closed”.

He asserted that the 15-member Security Council was dominated by “arrogant” powers.

Addressing the opening session of the General Assembly he said Iran would from now on consider the nuclear issue not a “political” one for the Security Council, but a “technical” one to be decided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“In the last two years,” Mr Ahmadinejad observed , “abusing the Security Council, the arrogant powers have repeatedly accused Iran and even made military threats and imposed illegal sanctions against it.”

An agreement reached last month between his country and the IAEA over its disputed nuclear programme has, in the Iranian view, settled the matter, he said. The IAEA is the world’s central nuclear technology governing body.

“Iran decided to pursue the issue through its appropriate, legal path, one that runs through the IAEA, and to disregard unlawful and political impositions by the arrogant powers,” Ahmadinejad said .

“I officially announce that in our opinion, the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed and has turned into an ordinary agency matter.”

Under the deal brokered in August, the Iranian government agreed to a timetable for resolving outstanding issues with the IAEA over its nuclear program, which the Iranians have said is solely for peaceful power generation. The deal received a tepid reception from the United States and other Western countries that fear Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

“Today because of the resistance of the Iranian nation, the issue is back to the agency, and I officially announce that in our opinion, the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed and has turned into an ordinary agency matter,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said.

Mr Ahmadinejad also offered veiled but unmistakable criticism of the United States -- not mentioning Iran’s long-time adversary by name, but offering blunt critiques of the Iraq war and Washington’s larger war on terrorism.

“Human rights are being extensively violated by certain powers,” he said.”

Setting up secret prisons, abducting persons, trials and secret punishments without any regard to due process, extensive tappings of telephone conversations, intercepting private mail and frequent summons to police and security centers have become commonplace and prevalent.” The US delegation walked out of the UN General Assembly as Ahmadinejad rose to speak.