Thursday, March 9 2006 19:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tehran: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed today (Mar 09 2006) his country will continue its controversial nuclear drive and "stand against any pressure or conspiracy", state television reported.

"In the past 27 years and at different times, we faced matters like this," Khamenei was quoted as saying after the Islamic republic was reported to the UN Security Council.

"Today, the Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic republic of Iran, more powerful than before and like steel, will stand against any pressure or conspiracy," said the country's all-powerful leader.

He vowed that Iran, "relying on God and using wisdom and rationale and by maintaining unity, will continue on the path to advanced technology, including nuclear technology."

According to Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, Iran's current woes are merely a continuation of American pressure seen since the 1979 Islamic revolution ousted the US-backed shah.

"There are two pillars of America's opposition to Iran having peaceful nuclear technology: One is to have a pretext to continue its psychological war against the Islamic regime. The other is to prevent Iran from gaining scientific and technological advances," the supreme leader said.

Speaking to the Assembly of Experts, a top council of regime clerics, Khamenei laid out an argument for the country not to back down.

"If the Iranian people and the government retreat from their right to nuclear technology, the (American) adventure will not end and the Americans will come up with another pretext," he said.