Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that a possible UN sanction against his country was a hollow threat and the Security Council had no right to intermeddle in Iran's nuclear program.

"Under a hollow threat, they want to compel our nation to retreat from its legal nuclear rights," Ahmadinejad told a large crowd in a Tehran's suburb of Shahriar.

"There are three or four countries which are bullying, they have no right to intervene, the Security Council also has no right to intervene," the president added.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad called on the West to adopt a friendly approach towards Iran despite his frequent condemnation on Western countries for their opposition to Tehran's nuclear program.

"Hasn't the time arrived for you to be friends with the Iranian nation?" he asked, adding, "We are for dialogue and peace. We are not for waging war against anybody."

Ahmadinejad made the remarks as the representatives from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States were to discuss possible measures on Iran after its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment work by Aug. 31 as a UN resolution demanded.

On Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also reiterated that his country would continue its nuclear program and wouldn't retreat under international pressure.

In less than two weeks, Iran's top officials, especially Ahmadinejad, have reiterated many times that Iran would not step back on its legal nuclear rights, warning the West not to imagine that the country would suspend uranium enrichment for even one day.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in late July, urging Tehran to suspend by Aug. 31 all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, or face prospect of sanctions.

However, despite Tehran's failure to meet the UN demand, EU foreign ministers decided in September to maintain serious talks with Tehran in efforts to solve Iran's nuclear issue through diplomacy.