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President Obama called on fellow world leaders Thursday to back up his efforts to help forge peace in the Middle East, and he challenged Iran to meet its international obligations to negotiate the terms of its nuclear program.

“The door remains open to diplomacy should Iran decide to walk through it,” Obama told leaders in his second annual address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. “But the Iranian government must demonstrate a clear and credible commitment and confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear program.”

So far, efforts to engage Iran have failed, leading to the toughest set of sanctions ever against the country. “Iran must be held accountable,” Obama said.

In his own speech before the assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took to the podium to propagandize about capitalism and the 9/11 attacks. A host of diplomats walked out of the room when he said the United States either orchestrated the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 in order to boost the economy or at least supported the attacks as a way to strengthen Israel.

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Israel’s seats in the chamber already were empty. The diplomats were absent all day, observing the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Outside the U.N. complex, Iranian-American protesters carried signs denouncing Ahmadinejad, the adultery stonings imposed in Iran and the exile of those who support democracy.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican who was in office on 9/11, told the crowd that “your goals are our goals. They are the goals of all democratic people. You want to see freedom of religion … of the press.”

None of the Iranian-American protesters would give their names, expressing concern that their relatives in Iran would be sought out and punished.

“It’s a shameful day for New York, a shameful day for the USA,” said retired Swedish teacher Osborn Hommstramd, who carried two signs, one reading “Iran hangs children” and the other, “Iran stones their women.”

Obama will take his message directly to the Iranian people in an interview today with BBC Persia, the White House announced after his U.N. speech.

Obama will “build on the same message that he’s delivered repeatedly over the last 20 months, including today, which is that we seek a better relationship with the people of Iran,” national security aide Ben Rhodes said.

In addition to pressuring Iran’s leaders, Obama called on Israel to tamp down tensions in the Middle East by extending its moratorium on building new Jewish settlements in the West Bank and to embrace the notion of a Palestinian state. He also called on Arabs to “stop trying to tear Israel down” and reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel.

“It should be clear to all that efforts to chip away at Israel’s legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States,” Obama said.

Referring to the willingness of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, to join a fresh round of peace negotiations with Israel, Obama said, “Make no mistake: The courage of a man like President Abbas — who stands up for his people in front of the world — is far greater than those who fire rockets at innocent women and children.”

By usatoday.com

"The door remains open to diplomacy should Iran decide to walk through it," said President Obama during his U.N. address Thursday.