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Ahmadinejad says more U.N. sanctions will not harm Iran


    TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will not be harmed by more U.N. sanctions over its nuclear programme, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday after the United States and other powers said they would push for further U.N. steps.

    Ahmadinejad was speaking in an interview with statetelevision after an International Atomic Energy Agency reportsaid on Friday Iran was being more transparent about itsnuclear plans but was not doing enough to clear up allsuspicions.

    Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to build atomicbombs, a charge Tehran denies.

    The United States, which is leading efforts to isolateIran, said the report was a good reason to impose more U.N.sanctions.

    "If they want to continue with that path (of sanctions), wewill not be harmed. They can issue resolutions for 100 years,"he told state television.

    He said those leading the bid to impose sanctions, anapparent reference to the United States, and its allies couldnot "bring the Iranian nation to its knees."

    "If they continue (with this pressure), we have designedreciprocal actions," he said without elaborating.

    (Reporting by Zahra Hosseinian, writing by Edmund Blair)