TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's determination to continue its disputed nuclear work has brought major powers "to their knees", the Iranian president said on Wednesday ahead of a report this week by the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
In a typically defiant speech as the International AtomicEnergy Agency prepares to issue its report, Mahmoud Ahmadinejadsaid Iran would not heed calls by major powers to halt thesensitive nuclear work that has led to two rounds of U.N.sanctions.
"The Iranian nation will not allow any power to trampleeven on its smallest (national) right," he said in a televisedaddress to a rally in the southern Iranian port city of BandarAbbas.
The IAEA report is expected to be released on Friday. IAEAchief Mohamed ElBaradei has said the agency has made "goodprogress" in resolving outstanding issues.
U.N. Security Council members are expected to scrutinisethe details in his report before finalising any new sanctionstext, which is now being considered.
"The Iranian nation's will to continue nuclear work has wonover the will of big powers ... (and) brought them to theirknees," the Iranian president said.
"Today the agency, which is legally in charge of this case,has prepared a report and announced that Iran's activities arelegal and there is no diversion," he said.
The IAEA has been seeking answers to long-standingquestions about Iran's programme, closing some of its files,under a deal with Iran reached last year.
The United States is leading efforts to impose moresanctions in Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment, thepart of Iran's programme that most worries the West because ithas both civilian and military uses.
Iran insists its work is entirely peaceful and has refusedto halt the work. The final word in nuclear policy lies withSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under Iran's system ofclerical rule, but the leader has also said Iran will not stopthe nuclear programme.
(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Giles Elgood)
