Ban Ki-moon called on Iran to prove nuclear programme peaceful

Iran is hosting leaders from around the world for a two-day summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which it hopes will boost its position on the international stage, the BBC reports.

The event has already upset Washington after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced his attendance.

The US has imposed tight sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear programme.

On the summit's agenda are finding a solution to the crisis in Syria, human rights and nuclear disarmament.

The BBC's Tehran correspondent, James Reynolds, says the meeting gives Iran a chance to fight back Western efforts to isolate it because of its nuclear activities.