Wednesday, May 10 2006 16:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jakarta (Indonesia): Iran's president today (May 10, 2006) dismissed Western concerns over nuclear proliferation as 'a big lie' and vowed to keep pursuing nuclear technology, as Indonesia's leader offered to mediate in the escalating international dispute.

Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters after meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that his country will 'absolutely not back out' from defending its right to pursue new technology, accusing the West of wanting to monopolise the nuclear technology market to secure profits.

"Today the people of Iran are not just defending their own rights, but also those of other nations," he said.

"They want to prevent other countries from reaching the pinnacle of science and technology," he said.

He suggested that Israel, another Middle Eastern nation, was allowed to operate a clandestine nuclear weapons programme, and that other countries continue to develop nuclear weapons systems.

"They pretend that they are concerned about the nature of the nuclear programme of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.

"This is a big lie," he said.

The fiery Iranian leader raised hopes of a breakthrough with the US just days ago by sending a letter to President George W Bush, the first such letter to an American leader in 27 years. But the letter was quickly dismissed by Washington.

Ahmadinejad said he was not disquieted' by the reaction.

"If they choose not to answer our question, it depends on them," he said, adding that he felt it was the correct decision to send the letter.