Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah AliKhamenei vowed on Thursday that his country would not bend to western pressures over its legal nuclear program, the state television reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not give in to those pressures and the continuation of our nuclear program is the country's basic right," Khamenei was quoted as saying when delivering a speech to experts of the Iranian Nuclear Energy Organization.

He stressed that achieving nuclear technology was much more important than exploring oil in the oil-rich country.

"I must tell you that achieving nuclear technology is more important than exploring oil," said Khamenei.

Meanwhile, Khamenei said that "achieving nuclear technology by Iran's youth is a historical landmark for the country," adding that "advance should be undertaken in other scientific areas."

It was not immediately clear that such remarks mean Iran's implicit rejection of a six-nation package aimed at resolving Iran's nuclear issue.

It was the first time for Khamenei to comment on the package since Iran received it from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on June 6.

On June 6, Solana presented to Iran a new package over Iran's nuclear issue, which had been agreed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany in a meeting in Vienna.

The proposal includes both incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran does not comply.