Iran says atomic drive brings powers "to their knees"

By Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN(Reuters) - The Iranian president said on Wednesday Iran's determination to continue its disputed nuclear programme had brought major powers "to their knees".

In another defiant speech ahead of an International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran due on Friday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would ignore calls by major powers to halt sensitive nuclear work that has led to two rounds of U.N. sanctions.

"The Iranian nation will not allow any power to trample even on its smallest (national) right," he said in a televised address to a rally in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

As well as worrying the West, Ahmadinejad's uncompromising speeches have stoked concerns among moderate politicians in Iran ahead of a March parliamentary election. Critics say he is pushing Iran into international isolation.

Former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who is running for a parliament seat, said in remarks published on Wednesday he had quit the post of negotiator over "differences on management mechanism" with Ahmadinejad. He did not elaborate.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog report was expected to be out on Friday. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has cited "good progress" in resolving outstanding issues although diplomats said the inquiry looked unlikely to be completed by Friday.

U.N. Security Council members will scrutinise the details in his report before finalising a draft for a third and broader round of sanctions, which is now being considered.

"The Iranian nation's will to continue nuclear work has won over the will of big powers ... (and) brought them to their knees," said Ahmadinejad, to chants from the crowd of "Death to America" and "Nuclear energy is our obvious right".