Senior Cleric: Iran Gives Crushing Response to Any Threat

Islam Times reports from FNA: The Iranian nation will give a strong response to "those who resort to using a language of threat and coercion", Ayatollah Khatami said.

Elsewhere, he referred to the NPT Review Conference in New York and the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's attendance in the meeting, and said, "The President's visit to New York was truly remarkable and admirable. Ahmadinejad conveyed the Iranian nation's message across the world with utmost bravery, vigilance and tactic."

Ahmadinejad, at the head of a high-ranking delegation, paid a five-day trip to New York, where he attended the month-long NPT Review Conference at the UN headquarters. He returned to Iran late on Wednesday.

Ayatollah Khatami said the message that was conveyed to the world by Ahmadinejad was that the United States is and has always been the first criminal in the international arena.

He added that the anger of the US government, pro-Israeli lobbies and western-backed media outlets showed the "profound impact" of Ahmadinejad's visit.

Referring to recent efforts by world powers to levy a new round of sanctions on Iran, Ayatollah Khatami said, "For more than thirty-one years, our ears have been filled with threats of sanctions and tough economic resolutions."