Iran's president said today his country would press on with its nuclear programme "until the end" and would not be stopped by the West, which fears the Islamic Republic is trying to build atomic bombs.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was speaking a day after the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a report that Iran was still stonewalling IAEA probes aimed at determining whether Iran's plans are peaceful.
"The Iranian nation stands for its nuclear right and will go ahead until the end," Ahmadinejad said in a speech to a rally in western Iran, broadcast live on state television.
"Time is on the Iranian nation's side. With each passing day, (the West) must retreat one step and acknowledge the rights of the Iranian nation and with each passing day the Iranian nation goes ahead towards the summits of victory," he said.
"By the grace of God, we will hold a great nuclear celebration before the end of this year, all over Iran," he said, without giving details about what the event would involve. The Iranian year ends in March 2007.
Iran, which says its nuclear programme is solely for power generation, is now facing possible sanctions for failing to heed UN demands to stop enriching uranium, a process that can yield fuel for power plants or, ultimately, for atomic bombs.
Mr Ahmadinejad told a news conference yesterday Iran was aiming to build 60,000 centrifuges, used to enrich uranium - higher than the previously stated target of 54,000. Iran now operates two experimental chains of 164 centrifuges each.