The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in August that Iran had 12 cascades of 164 centrifuges (1,968) running simultaneously to enrich uranium and that 656 others were either under construction or being tested.

The centrifuges are located at an underground nuclear facility at Natanz in central Iran.

Iran has so far defied international calls to suspend enrichment, the process by which nuclear fuel is made, as well as — in highly purified forms — the core of an atomic bomb.

Speaking at the rally, Ahmadinejad vowed that Iran would continue ignoring UN Security Council resolutions imposing two rounds of sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to suspend enrichment.

“Some people say implement the resolutions but we say the resolutions are based on a wrong report,” he told the rally.

“Iran will not give any credit to these resolutions.”

“They should know that the Iranian nation could not care less about the sanctions,” Ahmadinejad said, adding that the Iranian people “will not retreat an iota from any of their rights, especially nuclear rights.”

Iran denies Western charges that it is trying to build atomic weapons under the guise of its civilian nuclear programme, and says it only wants to enrich uranium for civilian energy purposes.

The sanctions target Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, but the United States which is spearheading international efforts to thwart Iran’s atomic work has imposed a set of unilateral sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear defiance and alleged support of terrorism.

Washington has blacklisted Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard corps and its Qods force, accused of arming and training insurgents in Iraq.

It has also blacklisted major Iranian banks and successfully encouraged virtually all major European banks into cutting business with the Islamic republic.

However, Iran’s status as the world’s fourth oil exporter and OPEC’s second largest means it cannot allow itself to become detached from the world economy.

Iran and the IAEA agreed on a timetable in August for Tehran to provide answers to outstanding questions over its nuclear programme.

The IAEA has been probing Iran’s programme for the past four years but has so far failed to conclude whether it is peaceful or not.

The Vienna-based nuclear watchdog is poised to publish a new report this month on Iran’s cooperation in providing answers, which is to serve as a key part of further discussions at the UN on whether to impose a third round of sanctions.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is also due to report to major world powers before mid-November on Iran’s willingness to give up uranium enrichment in exchange for political and trade incentives.

Security Council permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany, back the drive for a third UN Security Council resolution and vote on Iran, unless upcoming reports showed “a positive outcome”.

Although Washington insists it wants a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with Iran it has never ruled out a military option with President George W. Bush raising the prospect of “nuclear holocaust” and “World War III” if Iran acquires atomic weapons.

Iranian leaders have vowed a crushing response to any aggression, while hinting at a disruption in the flow of oil supplies through the strategic Gulf waters.

-jot from breitbart.com