Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was speaking at the enrichment facility at Natanz at a ceremony to celebrate Iran's first year of success in enriching uranium. He used the occasion to stress the country's determination to defend its nuclear rights.

    Ahmadinejad said, "The western countries should know that the path of the Iranian nation has no return. Iran has so far behaved according to the rules and regulations issued by these countries, and it's stayed on a peaceful path and is still keen to continue in the same way. We warn them not to take measures that might make us revise our behavior."

    Ahmadinejad did not specify the number of operational centrifuges at nuclear sites. But the country's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, confirmed that Iran had begun injecting gas into as many as 3,000 centrifuges.

    Observers now predict that Ahmadinejad's clear defiance of the UN resolution demanding a halt to enrichment, could escalate current tensions between Iran and the West just five days after the standoff over Iran's detention of 15 British sailors.

    Earlier the same day, Iran celebrated "Nuclear Technology Day" with a rally in front of the Atomic Energy Organization headquarters in the capital Tehran. University students demonstrated to show their support for the country's nuclear activities. There were also rallies in other Iranian cities.

    (Source: CCTV.com)