Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that his country would not accept a UN Security Council resolution asking Iran to suspend uranium enrichment work before Aug. 31, the state television reported.

"They cannot use a resolution to oppose us, and they should understand that Iranian people do not give in to language of force," Ahmadinejad was quoted as telling a huge crowd in Iran's northwest province of Ardebil.

The president noted that he had received a phone call from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who urged Iran to respond to the six-nation package.

"I told him Iran would be willing to solve the current problem through dialogue, but we have already lost our confidence in them because of the resolution," said Ahmadinejad.

He also reiterated that Iran would respond on Aug. 22 to the international package of incentives to suspend uranium enrichment that was offered by the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad mentioned ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah guerillas, saying "Hezbollah has hoisted the banner of victory over Israel and destroyed US-led plans for the Middle East."

Our God's promises have come true," said Ahmadinejad. "On one side, it's corrupt powers of the criminal US and Britain and the Zionists .... with their modern weapons, and on the other side is a group of devotional youth believing in God," he added.

Hezbollah has destroyed plans for someone seeking "to create the so-called new Mideast ... a Mideast that would be under the domination the US, Britain and Zionists," stressed the president, saying the west has failed to destroy the unity and resistance of Lebanese people.

One day ago, Ahmadinejad said that Iran's enemies had failed in their plot against the country's nuclear issue.

The UN Security Council on July 31 adopted a resolution by a vote of 14 to 1, urging Tehran to "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development" by Aug. 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.

Due to insistence of council members such as Russia and China, the resolution dropped the threat of immediate sanctions and required the council to hold further discussions before sanctions are considered.

Iranian officials have recently expressed indignation over the UN demand to halt enrichment activities, warning the United Nations against taking acrimonious measures to force Iran to comply or Iran would quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and stop cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically denied by Tehran which says that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2006 )