Ahmadinejad: Sanctions Will Help, Not Hurt

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today that new international sanctions would only strengthen the country's technological progress by encouraging it to become more self-sufficient. In a speech, Ahmadinejad also rejected President Obama's offers of engagement, saying "three or four beautiful words" don't mean US policies have changed under his administration.

"Don't imagine that you can stop Iran's progress," Ahmadinejad said. "The more you reveal your animosity, the more it will increase our people's motivation to double efforts for construction and progress of Iran." Obama said this week that six world powers dealing with Iran's nuclear program will develop a package of serious new punitive measures over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. (More Iran stories.)