Ahmadinejad: Iran among top world powers

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says US is concerned about Iran's influential role in Latin America, Central Asia and Africa, adding that the Islamic Republic is currently among the top world powers.

"This is not a rhetoric issue in a political war. This is a fact. The countries on the opposite side can do nothing without Iran," he was quoted by IRNA as saying on Saturday.

"They (US officials) do not want to see Iran's presence in international relations and equations. They have no option but to keep silent about consecutive victories of the Iranian nation," he added.

The head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said, "Before the swear-in ceremony in 2005 I asked the the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei], to issue a permission for breaking the seal of Iran's nuclear facilities, and the leader agreed."

"Despite oppositions [to the move] and threats of the enemy's military attack, the government insisted on its stance," Ahmadinejad said.

He touched upon the enemy's "political game" in Iran's nuclear case and said, "It aims to block and stop the path of the countries' progress."

He reiterated that the West could not stop Iran's nuclear program by adopting further resolutions or imposing sanctions.

The Iranian president questioned NATO's achievements in Afghanistan and said only Iran can help resolve regional crisis.

He disclosed efforts by certain powers and countries to change regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying, "They seek to prevent nations from making progress, but the Iranian nation will not let them."

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120745§ionid=351020101.