Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the U.S. government in an interview broadcast on Sunday of "blindly supporting" Israel in the month-long conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

"I fully oppose the behavior of the British and the Americans (in the Israel-Lebanon conflict)," Ahmadinejad said in an interview with CBS, which was recorded on Aug. 8.

He said the U.S. and British governments "are throwing their full support behind Israel," and "this threatens the future of all peoples, including the American and European peoples."

"So we are asking why the American government is blindly supporting this murderous regime," said Ahmadinejad.

On Hezbollah, the president said the party was a popular organization in Lebanon and that they were defending their land.

"They are defending their own houses, and, according to the charter of the United Nations, every person has the right to defend his house," he said.

On Iran's nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad said the United Nations Security Council "is also doing America's bidding by trying to prevent Iran from developing nuclear energy."

"But if Mr. Bush thinks that he can stop our progress, I have to say that he will be unable to do that," he said.

He said Iran wanted to have access to nuclear technology and wanted to produce fuel, accusing U.S. President George W. Bush and those supporting him of wanting to monopolize energy resources in the world.

"Because once they have that they can impose their opinions, points of view, policies on other nations and, of course, line their own pockets," he said.

Ahmadinejad said Iran was not working for a nuclear bomb. "The problem that President Bush has is (that) in his mind he wants to solve everything with bombs. The time of the bomb is in the past ... Today is the era of thoughts, dialogue and cultural exchanges, " he said.

He suggested that the U.S. government "change their behavior" and then "everything will be resolved."

Source: Xinhua