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LONDON - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a defiant warning to Iran's "enemies" as Tehran ignored a deadline from world powers to curb its nuclear ambitions.
Iran's refusal to give a clear answer to the offer of technological and political incentives in return for suspending uranium enrichment rekindled tensions with the West and led to fresh warnings from Israel that military strikes remain an option.
But Tehran yesterday accused the West of double standards in the wake of the US's nuclear deal with India.
In a statement on Iranian television on Saturday, Ahmadinejad accused "enemies" of wanting to "force the Iranian nation to retreat".
"Whenever the enemies have failed against this nation they have tried to make excuses, but the Iranian nation will stand against them with its power," he said.
The six powers offering a "grand bargain" to Iran - Britain, the US, France, Germany, Russia and China - had warned of expanded sanctions if Tehran refused to comply by the weekend's informal deadline.
Iran was given two weeks to respond after it met representatives from the six powers on July 19.
But Israel has been beating the drums of war. Three Cabinet ministers were in Washington last week, warning the Bush Administration against abandoning the military option. The Deputy Prime Minister, Shaul Mofaz, warned that "Israel will not let a second Holocaust happen".
Iran had not been expected to meet the ultimatum after saying earlier in the week that it rejected "the language of deadline-setting".
Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, is expected to telephone the chief Iranian nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, tomorrow.
Senior foreign ministry officials of the six powers will also confer.
"The Iranians have had more than enough time to respond," said a British diplomat. "If Iran doesn't choose to engage, there is no option but further sanctions."
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