"Enemies have assumed that they can prevent the progress of the Iranian nation through psychological war and issuing resolutions, but they will be defeated," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying on state-run TV.

Iran has condemned as "invalid" and "illegal" a Security Council resolution passed last month that imposes sanctions against the Islamic Republic for refusing to halt enrichment.

The resolution orders all countries to ban the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. It also imposes an asset freeze on key companies and individuals in the country's nuclear and missile programs named on a U.N. list.

If Iran refuses to comply within 60 days, the resolution warns Tehran that the council will adopt further non-military sanctions.

The United States and its allies accuse Tehran of secretly trying to produce atomic weapons, but Iran says its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes including generating electricity.

Ahmadinejad's comments came as China's President Hu Jintao urged Iran to give a "serious response" to the resolution, Chinese state media reported.

The resolution "reflects the shared concerns of the international community over the Iranian nuclear issue, and we hope Iran could make a serious response to the resolution," Hu said in his meeting with Iran's visiting top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, according to Xinhua News Agency.

But in another show of defiance, Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh, who also heads the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, announced that Iran has produced and stored 250 tons of uranium hexaflouride gas, the feedstock for enrichment, state-run TV reported.

The hexaflouride gas, or UF-6, is being stored in underground tunnels at a nuclear facility in Isfahan to protect it from any possible attack.

"Today, we have produced more than 250 tons of UF-6. Should you visit Isfahan, you will see we have constructed tunnels that are almost unique in the world," state-run TV quoted Aghazadeh as saying.

The central Iranian cities of Isfahan and Natanz house the heart of the country's nuclear program. In Isfahan, a conversion facility reprocesses raw uranium, known as yellowcake, into uranium hexaflouride gas. The gas is then taken to Natanz and fed into the centrifuges for enrichment.

Iran has said it is moving toward large-scale uranium enrichment involving 3,000 centrifuges and says it plans to later expand this to 54,000 centrifuges.

Centrifuges spin uranium gas into enriched material, which at low levels is used to produce nuclear fuel to generate electricity. But further enrichment makes it suitable for use in building nuclear weapons.

Aghazadeh confirmed in April 2006 that Iran has produced 110 tons of uranium hexaflouride gas. Experts say that amount would be enough to produce up to 20 nuclear bombs if Iran was to divert its civilian nuclear program into making weapons.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The resolution was an important message that "the free world wants there to be a peaceful future, but we don't see a peaceful future with the Iranians developing a nuclear weapon," Bush said after meeting with Merkel at the White House.

A sanctions resolution adopted unanimously by the
United Nations last month restricted Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology in an attempt to pressure Tehran to halt nuclear activities and resume talks aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions.

The United States suspect Tehran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, a charge Iran denies.

Iranian President's special envoy once again evaluated the US threats and UN sanctions "quite futile" in Iran's ever onward progress toward advancement in various fields, including in modern technologies.

He added, "We are not worried about sanctions as we have been proceeding with out objectives during the past twenty seven years despite all pressures and sanctions.

In response to a question on Israel's threats against Iran he said, "Under such conditions that the Prime Minister of the Zionist regime explicitly confesses that that regime is equipped with nuclear weapons the UN Security Council should logically condemn that regime."

A reporter asked, "A US research institute has predicted that Iran's oil exports would end by the year 2015. Is that the reason why Tehran is persistently pursuing its nuclear program?"

Larijani replied, "Such comments are all results of US miscalculations, and such miscalculations have resulted in engagement of the Americans in pursuing warmonger policies in the region, and creating lots of problems."
He emphasized, "Iran's oil exports have not be decreased and they would not be decreased either, but all the same, we would be in dire need of taking advantage of new sources of energy in the future." The SNSC Secretary further emphasized, "Iran's oil exports would not be decreased."

Iran's nuclear negotiator was asked about the axis of his talks with Chinese officials during his ongoing visit. He replied, "We would talk on various issues, including Tehran-Beijing ties and expansion of bilateral cooperation."
He said that in his meeting with President Hu Jintao he has delivered President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's written message to him.

Larijani added, "Iran has very broad ties with China and both sides have long-term plans for pursuing them, which is why such consultations between the two countries' officials have always been necessary and fruitful for both sides."

A reporter referred to the Zionist Prime Minister's visit of China during the current month, asking Larijani whether he has referred to Israeli threats during his meeting with the Chinese President, or not."

Larijani replied, "We do not evaluate the Israeli threats as important. The Zionist regime had better heed its own disgusting and status."