UNITED NATIONS – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told world leaders Thursday that the fight against violent extremists in the Middle East should be led by regional powers, such as Iran, not the U.S.-led coalition assembled by President Obama.

"If countries claiming leadership of the coalition do so aiming to continue their hegemony in the region, they'd be making a strategic mistake," Rouhani told the United Nations General Assembly. "Obviously, since the pain is better known by the countries in the region, better that they form a coalition and shoulder the responsibility. ... If other nations wish to take action against terrorism they must come to their support."

Rouhani added that "if we do not muster all of our strengths against extremism and violence — this world will not be safe for anyone."

The Iranian president's comments were a rebuff to Obama, who appealed to the same body a day earlier to rally behind a global effort to stop the Islamic State's brutal rampage throughout much of Syria and Iraq. U.S. warplanes, which have been bombing Islamic State militants in Iraq, began striking fighters in Syria this week, aided by some Arab allies in the region.

Rouhani blamed Western "colonial" powers for creating militant groups for earlier conflicts that have transformed into the terrorists the West is now battling.

"The experience of creation of al-Qaida, the Taliban and other modern extremist groups proves that no one can use extremist groups and remain impervious to rising extremism," he said.

Al-Qaida founder Osama Bin Laden was associated with a joint CIA-Saudi effort to arm and equip rebel forces fighting to oust Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the 1980s. After the Soviets left Afghanistan, the Taliban, who were backed by Pakistan at the time, took control of most of Afghanistan.

The Islamic State militants are Sunnis who grew into a potent force battling to oust the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a goal the U.S. shares.

The U.S. began waging war against the Islamic State when its fighters seized territory in neighboring Iraq. Iran has become an unintentional ally in that fight because it is a majority Shiite nation, as is Iraq. Iranian-backed Shiite militias have fought to retake some of the territory overrun by Islamic State militants.

The militants have beheaded several Western journalists and aid workers, and executed hundreds of Iraqis who've resisted their rule.

Rouhani's visit included a meeting Wednesday with British Prime Minister David Cameron, but Rouhani said it is unlikely he will meet with Obama.

At the end of last year's first visit to the U.N., Rouhani accepted a historic phone call from Obama, the first leader-to-leader contact between the two estranged countries since the Iranian revolution overthrew the U.S.-backed shah in 1979. After that call, Rouhani was greeted on his return to Tehran by hawkish demonstrators lobbing eggs and shoes at him.

In media interviews this week, Rouhani said the U.S.-led approach to countering Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria is misguided because of its reliance on aerial bombardments and training of Syria's moderate opposition.

"No terrorist group can be eradicated and destroyed through aerial bombardments," Rouhani told CBS This Morning Wednesday. He likened training and arming Syria's rebels to putting "more fuel on the existing fire."

At a speech to foreign policy wonks at the New York Hilton in Manhattan Wednesday, Rouhani said Iran has shown a willingness to make a deal to end the years-long standoff with the world over a nuclear program that Iran claims is peaceful but that Western powers and its Middle East neighbors believe is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.

Iran's negotiations with the USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China are to be completed by Nov. 25. The talks aim to ensure Iran's nuclear program is as peaceful as it claims in return for lifting international sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

Obama has pledged to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons, and said he would resort to military action if necessary. Israel, which views Iran as an existential threat, also has vowed to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if Iran gets too close to building a bomb.

Rouhani warned Thursday, "Those who would think of another solution would be making a mistake. No one should doubt that negotiations are the best way to deal with this issue."

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