EDITOR's NOTE: Three paragraphs were added in the article
Western countries use Iran's nuclear program and human rights situation only to confront Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at a rally in Tehran, commemorating the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, IRINN television channel reported.
Rallies took place in all cities, including 818 settlements and 4,000 villages, Mehr reported.
Demonstrators marched to Azadlig square shouting, "Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic," "Death to the U.S.," and "Death to Israel."
Ahmadinejad noted two reasons for the West to oppose Iran: Iran's centuries-old influence on global processes and a central strategic position in the Middle East.
"The Middle East is the most sensitive and most influential region of the world, therefore everyone who controls the region, controls the world," he added.
According to him, "control over the vast energy riches of the Middle East provides a tool to control the whole world."
"The reason why the West opposes Iran is that Iran has the potential to spread its influence throughout the world," he said. "The Iranian people over the centuries have been a leader in Islam, science and civilization, and have kept its cultural influence in many regions of the world. Therefore, the processes taking place in Iran affect the entire world."
Now, Iran works on a program that will shoot the country's position to No. 12 in the world in terms of economic development, he added.
"Iran has achieved great advances in laser technology and in the near future this technology will be available to the masses. Development of laser technology will lead to a scientific revolution in Iran in all fields," he said.
"Today with the help of God, the Iranian nation has reached such achievements in science, that no power on earth can resist," he said.
