Iran's hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday compared the power of Iran's enemies to a "mosquito," saying Iran now deals with the West over its nuclear activities from a position of power.
The comment from Ahmadinejad came as Iran is negotiating with the West over UN-backed proposal to ship its uranium abroad for further enrichment.
The UN-brokered plan would require Iran to send 1,100 kilogrammes of low-enriched uranium around 70% of its stockpile to Russia in one batch by year's end, for processing to create more refined fuel for a Tehran research reactor.
Iran has indicated that it may agree to send only "part" of its stockpile in several shipments. Should the talks fail to help Iran obtain the fuel from abroad, Iran has threatened to enrich uranium to the higher level needed to power the research reactor itself domestically.
After further enrichment in Russia, France would convert the uranium into fuel rods that would be returned to Iran for use in the reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.
"While enemies have used all their capacities ... the Iranian nation is standing powerfully and they are like a mosquito," a government Web site quoted Ahmadinejad early Sunday as saying.
Ahmadinejad also said Iran doesn't trust the West when it sits for talks.
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