The Barack Obama administration has publicly expressed its displeasure over world leaders attending the summit meeting of the Non Aligned Movement in Tehran.
"This is an organisation that we are not a member of. Our point is simply that Tehran, given its number of grave violations of international law and United Nations' obligations, does not seem to be the appropriate place," said State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland.
Responding to questions on UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon traveling to Tehran to attend the NAM Summit, Nuland said, "We have made our views known that we think that this is a strange place and an inappropriate place for this meeting."
NAM is being attended by several global leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.
Iran, which is at loggerheads with the US and other western countries, has hailed this meet as a major diplomatic achievement.
According to the FARS news agency, over 30 heads of States have announced their readiness to attend the 16th NAM Summit in Tehran, to be held from August 26 to 31.
"The fact that the meeting is happening in a country that is in violation of so many of its international obligations and posing a threat to neighbours, it sends a very strange signal with regard to support for the international order, rule of law. We have made that point to participating countries. We have also made that point to (the UN) Secretary General Ban Ki Moon," Nuland said in response to a question.
"If he does choose to go, we hope he will make the strongest points of concern," she stressed.
