By Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Correspondent
Tehran, Iran (AHN) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said the U.N. sanctions against his nation will have no effect on Tehran's nuclear program and said some countries continue to support the Islamic regime.
Ahmadinejad made the remark at the start of Tehran's celebration of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Speaking to reporters at the mausoleum of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the president said, "The enemies know that sanctions imposed on the country will have no effect."
Ahmadinejad paid tribute to the father of the Islamic Revolution accompanied by his cabinet ministers and Khomini's grandson, Hojjatoleslam Hassan Khomeini. Thursday was the start of the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies.
Tehran celebrates the annual Ten-Day Dawn celebrations from February 1-11 to commemorate the overthrow of the Iranian shah and the creation of the Islamic Republic.
Ahmadinejad stressed, "Despite pressure from the enemies, certain countries continue to express favorable stances on the Iranian nation's right to peaceful nuclear energy."
"If bullying states mobilize all resources in their power they still cannot do anything. At most, they can take measures that will irritate but will have no impact on the Iranian nation's will."
He promised to display the country's military might and unity on February 11 as he called on all Iranians to participate in the government-organized rally on said date.
In London, John Chipman, director of the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Iran is still two to three years away from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Chipman said, "If and when Iran does have 3,000 centrifuges operating smoothly, the IISS estimates it would take an additional 9 - 11 months to produce 25 kg of highly enriched uranium, enough for one implosion-type weapon.
"That day is still 2-3 years away at the earliest," Chipman said at the launch of the IISS annual publication "The Military Balance."
He also acknowledged the earlier pronouncement of Tehran that it can complete its target of producing 3,000 centrifuges by the end of March, but said at least 500 of these were brought from the black market.
