Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    BEIJING, May 1 -- Iran believes international sanctions have done little to stop its progress and growth, and says it will turn threats into opportunities.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks at Shiraz, 895 km (556 miles) south of Tehran, April 30, 2008. (Photo: CCTV.com) Photo Gallery>>>

    Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, dismissed the idea on Wednesday that the sanctions have had any lasting impact on Iran's development. He said the countries that imposed sanctions on Iran are "arrogant powers." The leader's comments come at a time when Iran is seeing high unemployment and the rising price of commodities.

    The UN Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran in the past few years over its refusal to abandon its uranium enrichment program. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and is used to produce electricity.

    (Source: CCTV.com)