TEHRAN, Feb. 11--President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the big powers are damaging their own prestige by further anti-Iran provocations.
Addressing a massive gathering marking the 29th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution at Tehran’s Azadi Square, Ahmadinejad said perseverance of the Iranian nation and the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has made the country victorious with regard to the nuclear program, IRNA reported.
Iran has reaffirmed its commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
He said enemies presumed that they can make Iran retreat through threats, resolutions, sanctions and psychological war, but they have again been proven wrong.
“On Iran’s nuclear program, they have spoiled their own reputation and that of the UN Security Council, proving the council’s inefficiency. Some of the Security Council’s permanent members, in the name of peace and security, made anti-Iran decisions based on their wrong perception and dictated it to the council,“ he said.
“Instead of apologizing to the great Iranian nation, these powers are complaining against the non-observation of the UN Security Council’s former decisions. I tell them not to insist on your mistakes. They should know that the Iranian nation will never give up its nuclear rights,“ he said.
The president noted that the West should find a way to make good on its past mistakes.
“We have repeatedly announced that the nuclear activities of the Iranian nation are within the framework of laws and regulations. I recommend them (westerners) to take recourse to justice and the law. That’s in the interest of all,“ he said.
Massive rallies were held across Iran on Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution’s victory.
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of the capital Tehran and millions in provinces to renew their allegiance to the ideals of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, and to show their solidarity with the government.
In Tehran, the people ventured out into the cold weather chanting slogans such as “Death to America,“ “Death to Israel“ and “Nuclear energy Is Our Indisputable Right“.
The masses converged on Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square where President Ahmadinejad delivered his annual speech.
Ahmadinejad reiterated that Iran would not make any concessions in the row over its peaceful nuclear program.
“The Iranian nation will not retreat one step from its (nuclear) rights. The West should know that Iran cannot be threatened by economic pressures and threats,“ he said.
“Any concession would be a disgrace for Iran to which we would never ever give in.“
President Ahmadinejad asked the crowd whether they would agree to concessions over the country’s peaceful nuclear program to which the tens of thousands at the venue replied “No“.
He also lashed out at his domestic critics whom he accused of pursuing a ’vendetta’ and betraying the country over the nuclear issue.
“Unfortunately, there are some in this country who consider themselves to be the owner of the country and want to control everything in this country,“ he said.
“In the nuclear case, there are some who unfortunately went to the enemy and encouraged the enemy. I don’t think these people are part of the Iranian nation. These people cannot escape the claws of the Iranian nation.“
President Ahmadinejad announced that Iran is to launch two more rockets into space in the next few months to send a satellite into space.
“We hope Iran’s first home-produced satellite will be launched in summer,“ he said, reiterating a prediction made by other Iranian officials.
Iran on February 4 fired a rocket into space in preparation for the launch of its first home-produced satellite ’Omid’ (Hope).

TEHRAN, Feb. 11--President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his visiting Tajik counterpart Imomali Rakhmon conferred on expansion of political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries, which was followed up by four bilateral agreements.
Speaking to reporters after talks on Sunday, the two president referred to Iran and Tajikistan as two friendly and brotherly nations with extensive cultural and historical commonalties.
President Ahmadinejad said since Tajikistan attained independence, the two sides have explored ways to develop ties and their officials are determined to continue the path.
The two sides also discussed various regional and global issues and exchanged views on ways to deal with wrong doing and organized crimes, terrorism, drug trafficking and extremism, said the Iranian president.
Tajik president, for his part, called his visit to Tehran as a harbinger of expansion of ties and cooperation. “There exists huge capacity for mutual cooperation on transport, energy, joint investment and cultural cooperation,“ he said, adding that Iran has a record of cooperation in construction of power plants in Tajikistan.
Tajik president and his entourage are to leave Tehran for Dushanbe on Monday.
Iran and Tajikistan have signed three agreements on power, petrochemical and transport cooperation.
Also on Sunday, visiting Tajik Defense Minister General Sherali Khayrulloyev conferred with his Iranian counterpart Mostafa Mohammad Najjar on expansion of defense cooperation between the two countries.
At the end of the meeting, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on expansion of defense cooperation.

BEIRUT, Lebanon,
Feb. 11--Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a key figure in Lebanon’s ruling majority, on Sunday launched a verbal assault on the opposition, warning his side was ready for war.
“You want disorder? It will be welcomed. You want war? It will be welcomed. We have no problem with weapons, no problem with missiles. We will take them from you,“ Jumblatt told a news conference, AFP reported.
Speaking four days before the third anniversary of the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, Jumblatt warned against a spiral dragging everyone into unrest.
“If the political vacuum continues, if arming and training continue...if the charge of treason and assassinations continue--and it seems that will be the case--we will all be dragged towards disorder,“ he said.
But Jumblatt added: “If they (the opposition) want peace, the Forces of March 14 (the parliamentary majority) are ready for it also.“

WASHINGTON,
Feb. 11--Barack Obama could hardly have had a better weekend. On Sunday he added the Maine Democratic presidential caucus to the three contests he swept on Saturday against rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, giving him momentum heading into Tuesday’s voting in three mid-Atlantic states.
For a cherry on top, he won a Grammy award on Sunday, beating former president Bill Clinton and others for “best spoken word album,“ for the audio version of his book, “The Audacity of Hope,“ AP reported.
While everything seemed to go Obama’s way this weekend, the Clinton campaign was regrouping. Campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle stepped down a few hours before it was clear that Obama had carried Maine, where both candidates had addressed crowds on Saturday.
Obama also won in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington on Saturday.
The Illinois senator exulted on Sunday, telling a crowd of 18,000 in Virginia Beach, Va., “We have won on the Atlantic coast, we have won on the Gulf coast, we have won on the Pacific coast and we have won between those coasts.“
The Democratic nomination is far from decided, with weeks or months of campaigning still ahead. Clinton, the New York senator and former first lady, is an experienced, well-financed campaigner certainly capable of pulling off more surprise wins, as she did Jan. 8 in New Hampshire.
For now, at least, the wind is at Obama’s back. Polls published Sunday showed him leading in Maryland and Virginia, which hold primaries on Tuesday, along with the District of Columbia.