Ahmadinejad: Sanctions won't deter us

Iranian defense minister adds "Israel is no match for Iranian military."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 311 (photo credit: AP)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 311
(photo credit: AP)
Sanctions imposed by the United Nations will hold no weight over Iran's nuclear program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying Thursday.
"We can do without those countries which exercise pressure on us,” Ahmadinejad said in an exclusive interview with German television network RTL, due to be aired Thursday evening, according to IRNA.
Ahmadinejad stressed that Iran would not be influenced by other countries on the nuclear issue, reported the Islamic Republic News Agency.
Ahmadinejad claimed that the Iranian nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes.
“We are in principle against atomic bombs. For us, weapons of mass destruction are inhumane,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi commented on US and Israeli pressure saying that “they should be held accountable for their aggressions in Afghanistan and Iraq, but they try to impose empty threats on other countries instead.”
“If the Zionists dare to target Iran, there will remain no trace ofthem. They know that they are no match for Iran in any militaryconfrontation,” Vahidi asserted.
Vahidi finished by saying that “the Islamic Republic of Iran is in fullcombat readiness and will give a crushing response to anythreat posed against it.”
In addition, Iranian Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi said,“If the US threatens Iran…the attack will be very costly for the US...and none of its soldiers will go back home alive,” reported IRNA.