Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks during a news conference in Tehran, Iran, yesterday. Ahmadinejad said that his country would "reconsider" its cooperation with the UN atomic agency if western countries continue to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear technologies. -Xinhua

Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that his country would "reconsider" its cooperation with the UN atomic agency if western countries continue to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear technologies.

"Working in the framework of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the nuclear agency is our concrete policy, but what has more than 30 years of membership in the agency given us?" the president complained at a press conference.

"If we see they don't want to accept our legal rights, all right, we will reconsider," said Ahmadinejad, adding that "it is time for the agency to restore its reputation ... they haven't done anything but cause nuisance".

The hardline president made the remarks days ahead a deadline that arrived on Friday, which was set by the UN Security Council, demanding Iran to halt uranium enrichment activities before April 28.

He said at the same press conference that Tehran would not accept the call.

Earlier Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also vowed that the country would neglect the nuclear deadline.

Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is expected to submit a report on Iran's nuclear issue to the Security Council in the coming days.

On April 11, Ahmadinejad officially declared that Iran had gained ticket to join global nuclear club by having produced 3.5 percent enriched uranium, a technological leap in the process for nuclear power plant construction, which immediately aroused strong concern internationally.

The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian front, but Iran dismissed the charge, saying that its nuclear program is fully peaceful.