Iran Doesn't Fear War, Time of Colonialism Has Passed: Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has hinted that his country will not back away from its nuclear ambitions threatened by the possibility of a U.S.-backed Israeli military strike. In a fresh tirade against the West, Ahmadinejad said Iran didn't fear bombs and warships and planes, Iranian media reported.

The Iranian nation doesn't fear your bombs and warships and planes. Such weapons are worth nothing, the Fars News Agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying on a visit to the town of Karaj, west of Tehran.

You say to Iran all options are on the table. Leave them there until they rot. The time of arrogance and colonialism has passed, and the era of your unreasonableness passes too, he said.

The international community is hoping that the widespread consensus on substantial sanctions and unilateral penalties will force Ahmadinejad to back away from building nukes. However, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has already made it clear that the Jewish state considers nuclear Iran an existential threat and that it is strategizing ways for a preemptive military strike on Tehran.

The P5+1 group of nations, a format in reference to the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council - the U.S., the UK, France, Russia and China - and Germany, Tuesday accepted an offer from Tehran for renewed talks on its nuclear program.

Prior to Netanyahu's Washington visit, Obama had said military action would only be the final option while all options are on the table on how to handle the Iran situation.

President Obama played down the possibility of a war last week, saying that there was a window of opportunity to reach a peaceful solution regarding the Iranian nukes.

Almost unexpectedly, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised Obama for pushing diplomacy and for saying that war was not a solution, Iran's state TV reported.

Khamenei's comments closely followed a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency last week which said that Iran was trying to wipe out evidence that its scientists had tested detonators for nuclear weapons. The IAEA said Iran had cleared a military site ahead of an inspection.