Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday accused the West of nuclear “intimidation” in his final speech to the UN General Assembly which was boycotted by the United States and Israel.

But the Iranian President steered clear of the toxic remarks about Israel which have sparked mass walkouts at his previous appearances before the UN summit.

“Arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass-destruction by the hegemonic powers have become prevalent,” Ahmadinejad said in a rare outburst in the rambling 35 minute speech.

“Continued threat by the uncivilised Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality,” he added in his only reference to Israel.

The Iranian government faces mounting international pressure over its nuclear drive, which western powers say hides a bid to develop a nuclear bomb.

Iran denies the charge but there has been mounting speculation that Israel could launch a military strike against Iran’s bunkered nuclear facilities. President Barack Obama told the UN assembly on Tuesday that the US will “do what we must” to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Ahmadinejad’s last stay in New York as President has been marked by new condemnation of Israel which he refused to mention by name, calling them the “Zionists” or “fake regime”. The US boycotted the UN speech because of his attacks. Israeli diplomats also stayed away, partly because their country is marking Yom Kippur, the holiest Jewish day of the year.

Diplomats from Britain, France and Germany sat through Ahmadinejad’s address, but found nothing in his lecture-like theological comments to justify a repeat of the walkouts of previous years.

In fact much of his speech was devoted to religion.

Ahmadinejad hailed the imminent arrival of an “ultimate saviour”, Imam Al-Mahdi, “a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ and the righteous.”