President Ahmadinejad has rejected American claims that Iran has supplied sophisticated weapons to militants to attack US forces in Iraq.

He said that the allegations were unproven “pieces of paper” and claimed that Iran’s security was dependent on Iraq’s stability. He added: “Our position regarding Iraq is very clear. We are asking for peace. We’re asking for security. And we will be sad to see people get killed, no matter who they are.”

The White House stood by its allegations, saying it was confident that the report about the weapons flow from Iran to Iraq was accurate.

The hardline leader made the comments in a rare interview on US television, in which he said that he did not fear an American attack on Iran. “Why should we be afraid? First, the possibility is very low. We shy away from any kind of conflict, any kind of bloodshed,” Mr Ahmadinejad said.

His more conciliatory tone comes as the UN Security Council threatens to place stricter sanctions on Iran over its refusal to suspend uranian enrichment.

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