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Iranians Defend Nuke Program

Iran`s president and other government officials of the regime lashed out this week at the United States and other critics, vowing to resist the pressure of "bully countries," as European nations circulated a draft resolution urging that Teheran be brought before the U.N. Security Council for its nuclear activities.

Iran`s top nuclear negotiator said at a news conference that the Islamic Republic would halt intrusive U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and resume large-scale enrichment of uranium if taken before the Security Council, which could impose sanctions. Iran has already reportedly moved around funds from European and other international banks in anticipation of sanctions.

In a speech to thousands of supporters following the State of the Union speech of U.S. President George W. Bush, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the United States a "hollow superpower, tainted with the blood of nations" and said Teheran would continue its nuclear program. Nuclear energy is our right, and we will resist until this right is fully realized," Ahmadinejad told the crowd in the southern city of Bushehr, the site of Iran`s only nuclear power plant.