Ahmadinejad: Iran won't retreat from nuclear path

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Wednesday that Iran wont retreat one iota from its nuclear programme, denying claims that it seeks atomic weapons. Key ally Russia gave the Islamic Republic a major boost, rejecting tighter sanctions despite a UN watchdog report detailing suspected arms-related advances.Israel called on the world to stop Irans nuclear program in response to the UN International Atomic Energy Agencys report. The Israeli statement did not refer to the option of a military attack, Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy,In his first reaction to the report, Ahmadinejad strongly criticized the agency a day after it claimed Tehran was on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon saying the IAEA is discrediting itself by siding with absurd US accusations.The comments, broadcast live on state TV, were a sharp rebuke to Western warnings that Iran appears to be engaged in a dangerous defiance of international demands to control the Islamic Republics nuclear ambitions.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said the IAEA report confirmed long-standing claims by Israel and Western countries that Iran is developing nuclear bombs.The significance of the report is that the international community must bring about the cessation of Irans pursuit of nuclear weapons, which endanger the peace of the world and of the Middle East, the statement said.Until its statement late Wednesday, Israel had been largely silent over the report, wanting to portray the issue as a global concern, not a dispute between two enemies. Israel sees Iran as an existential threat, citing the nuclear program, Ahmadinejads calls for Israels destruction and Irans support for Arab militant groups.Israeli officials are hopeful the international community will pass tough new sanctions that cripple Irans key energy sector or target its central bank, which would hinder its ability to conduct international trade.