Iran's president says his country will persist in its nuclear programme, despite international concerns over it.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks were the first since a U.N.-backed draft was put forth aimed at easing tensions with the West.
Iran is to respond to the proposal this week. The plan envisages Tehran sending out most of uranium abroad for enrichment, which would reduce its stockpile and limit any nuclear arms making capability.
Ahmadinejad spoke on Tuesday, lashing out at archenemy Israel, which is believed to have nuclear weapons.
He says when an ``illegal regime has atomic weapons, it's impossible to block others'' from having peaceful nuclear energy.
The remarks come as U.N. inspectors are visiting a formerly secret uranium enrichment site in Iran.
