New president warns Iran will not submit to other nations

Agence France-Presse:

06/08/2005 06h20

TEHRAN (AFP) - New President Mahmood Ahmadinejad says Iran will respect international regulations but would not accept "submission" to any other nation, as he took the oath of office before parliament Saturday.

The swearing-in ceremony for Ahmadinejad, 49, who was formally installed as president on Wednesday by the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, came as Iran is facing the threat of being hauled before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions over its nuclear activities.

In a text decreed by the constitution, Ahmadinejad swore "on the Koran, before the people and before God to defend the official religion and the system of government of the Islamic Republic..."

"We will not accept anything that violates our nation's rights, it's an inviolable principle of our policies," said the hardliner who takes over as head of state amid an intensifying stand-off with the international community over Iran's nuclear programme.

"We want peace and justice for all but what some countries say when they speak of peace is really the submission of other nations, and they use threats to achieve that end.

"Our country will never sacrifice its dignity. We respect international rules but we will not adopt a policy that runs counter to our interests."