Tehran: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday Iran would not abandon its nuclear programme when the United States developed new atomic bombs every year, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
US officials accuse Iran of pursuing atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear programme.
Iran says that it is not developing bombs but is seeking nuclear technology for power generation.
"How can the Iranian nation give up its obvious right to peaceful nuclear technology, when America and some other countries test new atomic bombs each year?'' Ahmadinejad asked in a speech to a rally in the northwestern city of Namin.
Iran has set an August 22 deadline to respond to a demand by six world powers that Tehran give up uranium enrichment in return for economic and other incentives. Iran has so far shown no signs it will accept.
Tehran has vowed to expand its atomic fuel activities despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding that it halt nuclear work by August 31 or face the threat of sanctions.
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