“Iran is a great country, which, throughout history, has repeatedly been subjected to attacks, but has always fared [well] through tough periods,” he said, speaking to Japanese broadcasting organization NHK on the sidelines of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

“And, today, [the country] is not afraid of hollow threat by a bunch of Zionists is either,” Dr.Ahmadinejad added.

The US and Zionist regime have repeatedly threatened to take military action against Iran in order to force the Islamic Republic to halt its uranium enrichment program, which Washington and Tel Aviv claim includes a military component.

Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities, but has never found any evidence showing that the Islamic Republic's civilian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production.

“But what is important is the circumstances, which has allowed a couple of occupiers to openly threaten other nations and those who claim to be defending the rights of nations have chosen to be completely silent towards these threats…,” the Iranian president said.

“Unfortunately today, those who have stockpiled thousands of atomic bombs construe the use of nuclear energy as the production of nuclear bomb.”

President Ahmadinejad noted, “Surely, kicking up furor and [attempting] adventurism cannot take Zionists out of the cul-de-sac, they have been caught in.”