Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

Iranian soldiers attend the anniversary ceremony of Iran's Islamic revolution at the Khomeini shrine in the Behesht Zahra cemetery, south of Tehran, Feb. 1, 2007.(Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    TEHRAN, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday dismissed UN sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program as having "no effect" as the country kicked off celebrations to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    "The enemies know that sanctions imposed on the country will have no effect," the official IRNA news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying at the mausoleum of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

    The Iranian president and his cabinet members, accompanied by Khomeini's grandson Hojjatoleslam Hassan Khomeini, paid tribute to the father of the Islamic Revolution on the first day of the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies.

    Iran holds the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations on Feb. 1-11 every year to mark the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the monarchy of the shah and established the Islamic Republic.

    "Despite pressure from the enemies, certain countries continue to express favorable stances on the Iranian nation's right to peaceful nuclear energy," Ahmadinejad said.

    "If bullying states mobilize all resources in their power they still cannot do anything," he said. "At most, they can take measures that will irritate but will have no impact on the Iranian nation's will."

    Ahmadinejad reiterated that Iran has always observed rules and regulations in the conduct of its peaceful nuclear activities.

    "To us, the nuclear issue is a legal and technical matter involving the exercise of rights (by states) but big powers have apolitically motivated view of the issue," the Iranian president said.

    "They have set up a front against us on the nuclear issue," he added.

    Ahmadinejad noted that Iranians will display their power and unity by massively participating in the Feb. 11 rallies which will culminate the celebrations of the revolution anniversary.

    Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani also paid tribute to the mausoleum of Khomeini on Thursday.

    The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1737 on Dec. 23, 2006, demanding Iran suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities but Iran has rejected it as an "illegal measure" and vowed to continue its nuclear program.

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Think tank sees Iran 2 to 3 years away from building nuclear weapon

    LONDON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran is still at least two to three years away from building a nuclear weapon, a British leading think tank reported on Wednesday.

    "If and when Iran does have 3,000 centrifuges operating smoothly, the IISS estimates it would take an additional nine to 11 months to produce 25 kg of highly enriched uranium, enough for one implosion-type weapon," said John Chipman, director of London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Full story>>

Pentagon freezes sales of F-14 parts

This Mar. 20, 2003 file photo shows an F-14 fighter jet. The Pentagon has stopped selling spare parts from its retired fleet of F-14 fighter jets, worrying the parts could eventually go to Iran, CBS News reported Wednesday. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon has stopped selling spare parts from its retired fleet of F-14 fighter jets, worrying the parts could eventually go to Iran, CBS News reported Wednesday.

Ahmadinejad: Iran serious in defending absolute nuclear rights

    TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that his country is serious in defending its absolute nuclear rights, the official IRNA news agency reported.

    Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying in a cabinet session that "The government has the responsibility to meet the nation's demands, that is implementation of the (Supreme Leader's nuclear) policies."