Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Iran would continue its nuclear program, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"Enemies' goal of preventing peaceful use of nuclear energy is not a technical position," Ahmadinejad told a gathering of commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, adding " Rather they intend to eradicate principles of the (Islamic Republic) system."

"So if we stop even for one moment, enemies will achieve their goals," he continued.

Ahmadinejad's remarks came just one day after a report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said Iran still defied UNSC Resolution 1747 and expanded its uranium enrichment program.

The report, written by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei, also expressed concern about its "deteriorating" understanding of unexplored aspects of the program.

However, the report blamed Iran for blocking IAEA efforts to probe its nuclear activities, and it was handed over to the UNSC president for distribution among its members.

Ahmadinejad said that Iran has no fear of "enemies' hue and cry and psychological warfare."

"Enemies are making use of their last potentials against Iran which will bear no fruit," Ahmadinejad noted, saying that "with God's help and power we are getting closer to our final aims."

Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA Ali Soltanieh said on Wednesday that ElBaradei's latest report "is devoid of any new points."

"This report once again confirms the legitimacy of our nuclear activities, and that Iran has not breached any of its international commitments, and that our activities have no deviation from peaceful objectives," Soltanieh said.

"Although Iran has pursued its enrichment activities, it has never created any obstacles in the way of the agency's inspections, or made any attempt aimed at delaying them, pursuing full cooperation with IAEA inspectors," he added.

The UNSC unanimously adopted on March 24 Resolution 1747 with tougher sanctions to pressure Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities.

Iran has refused to heed the council's demand, insisting that its nuclear programs are for peaceful purposes only.

The United States and some other Western countries have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of its civilian nuclear programs.

Source: Xinhua