Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday that Tehran's nuclear program is legitimate and Iran would not give up its nuclear activities even sanctioned by UN, the local Fars news agency reported.

At his weekly press conference, spokesman Seyed Mohammad Hosseini told reporters that his country's nuclear program was in full conformity with the international rules and regulations, adding there's no reason for Tehran to give up the right even sanctioned by the United Nations.

"We will continue our peaceful nuclear activities," said the spokesman.

Hosseini also brushed off the world powers' efforts to seek UN Security Council measures on Iran's nuclear program, urging them to return the case to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

During his visit to the headquarters of the elections, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said "Iranians had already conquered the peak of nuclear progress and the case with the nuclear issue has been closed."

Iran's top officials have recently reiterated that the country would make more progress on its nuclear activities despite the looming sanctions.

Ahmadinejad said on Dec. 9 that Iran had started the installation of planed 3,000 centrifuges in uranium enrichment facilities in central Iran.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, needs to enrich uranium as a peaceful, alternative energy source and has the right to do so under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

However, the West has accused Iran of trying to produce nuclear weapons under a civilian cover, a charge always denied by Tehran.

Due to Iran's resistance to suspend uranium enrichment, the European countries and the U.S. have been seeking a UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on Tehran.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said consensus in the UN Security Council on Iran's nuclear issue can be reached in the next two weeks if the world powers take a "realistic approach."