Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded sharply to US President George W. Bush on Wednesday, delivering a strongly religious address in which he dismissed American power as insignificant against divine will. The remarks came a day after Bush likened Iran's leadership to Al-Qaeda and pledged that the United States would never yield to tyranny.
Ahmadinejad, speaking at a conference ahead of a Saturday festival marking the birth of the 12th Shiite Imam Mahdi, directed his comments at Bush without naming him, telling him the world's direction was toward God and that no political force could resist it. An aide confirmed the president intended the speech as a direct reply to Bush's remarks.
The exchange escalated tensions already running high over Iran's nuclear program. Washington argues the program masks weapons development; Tehran insists it serves only peaceful energy purposes. Ahmadinejad accused the United States and Britain of using military arsenals to maintain global dominance, warning that those rejecting reason would face poor consequences.
He also renewed his proposal, previously turned down by the White House, for an unscripted televised debate with Bush on global issues. Conference organizers separately declared that Iran would prepare the ground for the eventual return of Imam Mahdi.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.