video transcript

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a gathering of journalists that he is not concerned about an attack from Israel, adding that Tehran can defend itself. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT OF IRAN, SAYING: "Fundamentally we do not take seriously the threats of the Zionists vis-a-vis an attack on Iran by them. Even though Iran, at the end of the day is a great country and let me assure you, we do have all defensive means at our disposal and we are ready to defend ourselves and we do believe that the Zionists see themselves at a dead end." He also stressed that Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT OF IRAN, SAYING: "The Iranian nuclear issue at the end of the day now I can tell you has become a very tiresome subject. It has become one of 'one-upmanship' by these parties, so at the end the day I assure you everyone knows that Iran is not seeking a nuclear bomb or nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad also said that Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be "eliminated."