Speaking on Saturday, Ahmadinejad said a message by US President Barack Obama to mark the Iranian new year last month contained “three or four beautiful words” but nothing new of substance.

“They say that ‘we have extended our hands to the people of Iran but the government of Iran and the people of Iran pushed it back’. What hand did you extend toward us?” Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech.

“What changed? Your sanctions were lifted? The adverse propaganda was stopped? The pressure was alleviated? Did you change your attitude in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine?”

Iran would easily cope with any new sanctions on petroleum imports, Ahmadinejad said, adding that such measures would only serve to strengthen his people’s resolve. “You (world powers) can cut your own throat, jump up or down, issue statements and declarations and pass resolutions... but don’t think you can stop the progress and building of the Iranian nation,” Ahmadinejad said.

“The more overt your animosity toward us, the more determined the Iranian nation will be to go forward,” the president said in a speech broadcast live on state television.

Ahmadinejad also reiterated that Iran had started making its own nuclear fuel for a Tehran research reactor after world powers “did not” supply the material.

“Based on the law which you wrote in the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) charter, you were supposed to give the fuel for the Tehran reactor, but you did not,” he said. “We said we will do it ourselves and they made fun, but our experts did it.” The controversy over fuel for the internationally supervised reactor and Iran beginning to enrich uranium to 20-percent level has emerged as the latest point of confrontation with world powers.

Iran’s atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi, meanwhile, said that plans to build one or two new uranium enrichment plants had been submitted to Ahmadinejad. “These facilities are dispersed in different areas of the country and they will be built at the targeted sites as Ahmadinejad sees fit.”

Ahmadinejad also sent a message to Israel, which is urging tough international action to stop Iran’s nuclear program, and which has not ruled out taking military action against what it sees as a threat to its existence.

Referring to Israeli airstrikes on Friday on the Gaza Strip, Ahmadinejad said: “One more time I warn the leaders of arrogant powers and the supporters of Zionist regime to not make a new mistake in the Middle East — attacking Gaza will cost you too much.”