AFP, Tehran, Aug 1, 2008 (excerpts) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that his country will use force against its “enemies” to defend its nuclear drive, state television reported.
“For them, subjects like the nuclear issue are pretexts. The key reason for the hostility of the enemies in the past 30 years against Iran is that they want us to pull back so that they can say we have given in,” Ahmadinejad said.
“But the Iranian people will resist with force against the enemies,” state television quoted him as saying.
The comments came as the United States on Friday set a weekend deadline for Iran to respond to an international offer to freeze its nuclear drive.
“We want and we expect a response this weekend,” US State Department acting spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said.