Iran will not retreat from its rights _ Ahmadinejad

IRAN: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stressed the independence of the Islamic Republic, saying the Iranian nation will “not retreat one iota” from its rights.

Addressing a huge crowd in Tehran's Azadi Square on the 34th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Ahmadinejad said, “Today, no power can make the slightest imposition against the Iranian nation, and this nation will not retreat one iota from its basic rights.”

“Today, [even] the most cynic and immoral enemies of the Iranian nation admit that the Iranian nation and country is one of the most independent nations and countries in the world and no one can impose their will on the Iranian nation,” Ahmadinejad said.

“Today, enemies are making every effort to prevent the progress of the Iranian nation by [mounting] pressures, but they have not succeeded.” Ahmadinejad added.

“We also emphasize that dialogue is better than confrontation” and during the talks “misunderstandings should be removed” and “convergence should be made,” the Iranian President said, stressing that in this way dialogue would not serve “as a tool to impose the wills (of one side on the other).” The Islamic republic “will not back down on its fundamental ( nuclear) rights even a single iota” in the face of pressures, he said.

On Sunday, Iranians staged mass rallies across the country to mark the 34th anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that put an end to the monarchy of the US-backed Pahlavi regime in the country.

- PRESS TV