Enemies cannot stop our nuclear work - Iran

TEHRAN, Nov 10 (Reuters) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today Iran's enemies could not do a ''damn thing'' to stop its nuclear programme.

The United States and European powers are leading efforts to impose United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt sensitive nuclear work that the West believes is aimed at producing an atomic arsenal.

''In the nuclear issue, they wrongly express concern about Iran's possible diversion from a peaceful path,'' the IRNA state news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

Tehran insists it has a right to nuclear power and only wants it to generate electricity.

''By God's grace our powerful nation will continue its path and the enemy cannot do a damn thing on the nuclear issue.'' His comments echoed those of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, who said ''America cannot do a damn thing'' after Iranian students stormed the US embassy in 1979 and took dozens of diplomats hostage.

Key UN Security Council members are currently debating a European draft sanctions resolution. The United States wants the text beefed up with stronger language, but Russia is resisting and instead wants large chunks deleted to exclude the seizure of Iranian assets and travel bans on Iranian officials.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator said today his country would review relations with the UN's nuclear watchdog if the Security Council backed the European draft resolution.

Iran ended snap inspections of its nuclear facilities in February after its case was referred to the UN Security Council. It has threatened to curtail IAEA inspections altogether if the Security Council took action against it.

REUTERS SP PM1907