A top Iranian official has brought under question recent British efforts to sway Arab states into opposing Iranian nuclear activities.

The five permanent UN Security Council members -- Britain, France, the United States, Russia and China -- plus Germany (P5+1 group) met with representatives of several Arab states on Tuesday in New York at the invitation of the US.

Spearheaded by Britain, some members of the group strived to persuade Arab states into joining major powers at the UN in challenging Iran over its nuclear activities.

Some Arab states, including Oman, boycotted the New York event, according to the Financial Times, suggesting that they do not support anti-Iran policies.

Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani touched on the issue on Sunday, questioning the UK for attempting to drum up Arab support.

"They intend to take advantage of the current situation in the region," he said, adding that world powers are already engaged in the Iranian nuclear case.

Hashemi-Rafsanjani questioned why the powers seek to intensify their efforts by seeking additional allies.

The United States, Israel and their Western allies accuse Iran of seeking military weapons and have demanded that Tehran end its nuclear activities.

Iran, a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, has denied the allegations, saying it seeks only the civilian applications of nuclear technology.

AO/AA