By Hossein Jaseb
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejadsaid on Thursday "satanic" foreign forces had failed in theirbid to dominate the Middle East's energy resources and did notdare threaten Iran.
Ahmadinejad also said at a military parade the region couldhandle its own security without U.S. and other foreign forcesalthough he did not name arch foe, the United States.
Iran is embroiled in a row over its nuclear programme,which the United States says is a covert bid to make nuclearweapons. Iran, the world's fourth biggest oil producer, deniesthis and says its aim is to generate electricity.
Washington says it wants diplomacy to end the dispute buthas not ruled out military action. Analysts say the possibilityof strikes seem remote after a U.S. intelligence report lastyear said Iran halted a nuclear weapons programme in 2003.
"We saw that oppressive, arrogant ... and satanic powersplanned, using a suspicious excuse to gain dominance over theworld's energy reserves ..., brought their troops to ourregion," Ahmadinejad said at the annual ceremony.
"Today they have failed," he said in the televised addressshortly before warplanes and helicopters flew overhead andtroops marched passed the podium set up south of Tehran.
Equipment on show included several missiles on trucks butdid not include the Shahab-3, which officials have said isIran's longest range projectile capable of hitting targets2,000 km (1,250 miles) away.
"The Iranian nation has reached a level that none of theworld powers dare to threaten (it)," he said, adding that Iranwould respond "powerfully" to any attack.
He said Iran would stand by its neighbours "to spread peaceand security in the region without the presence of foreigners".
Iran has regularly demanded the United States and itsWestern allies withdraw from Iraq and the region, as well ascalling for a security pact with nearby Gulf Arab states.
Gulf Arab states, which are mostly Sunni Muslim, have yetto take up the offer and have long been wary of Shi'ite MuslimIran's intentions in the area.
The president said Iran was capable of domestically makingmost of its main military equipment needs and said thisincluded tanks, aircraft and other weaponry, some of which wasincluded in the parade.
(Additional reporting by Zahra Hosseinian, Writing byEdmund Blair)