Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that the West must accept Iran's right to pursue a nuclear program and voiced confidence that the outcome of Tehran's controversy with the international community over the disputed issue would be positive.
"The acceptance of the rights of the Iranian nation, by the West, is the only solution for the nuclear issue," Ahmadinejad said in a live talk show on state television.
When asked about whether Iran would consider suspending the controversial uranium enrichment, whether the UN Security Council would impose a third round of sanctions on the country, and whether a military conflict was a possibility, the hardline Iranian leader cryptically said that "the road for the three" options was "almost blocked."
Ahmadinejad argued that Iran is pursuing its nuclear activities in a "legal framework" and that the Security Council illegally passed resolutions against Tehran.
"Why should we stop?" said Ahmadinejad. "We are moving in a good direction. International public opinion is supporting us."
He did not elaborate why he perceived that the international public opinion is in favor of Iran but stressed that Tehran would not give in to Western demands.
The US and some of its allies have accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons and have demanded the country suspend its enrichment activities.
Iran has maintained that its program is peaceful and has said it will not stop enrichment despite two sets of UN sanctions and the threat of more.
In the enrichment process, converted uranium is injected into cascades of thousands of centrifuges, which spin and purify it. If enriched to a low level, the result is fuel for a nuclear reactor. To a much higher level it can build the material for a nuclear warhead.
Iran claims it is too late to stop its nuclear program because it has already achieved proficiency in the cycle of nuclear fuel -- from extracting uranium ore to enriching it.
Ahmadinejad stressed that it has been two years since the West started pushing for closure of Iran's uranium conversion facilities in the central city of Isfahan, but that "now, several thousand centrifuge machines are spinning" in the Natanz uranium enrichment plant.
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