Iran: Israel Is A 'Fake Regime'

(CBS/AP)  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hinted Monday that Iran was considering withdrawing from the worldwide Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and said he did not think the U.N. Security Council would impose sanctions on Iran.

"Those who speak about sanctions would be damaged more (than Iran)," he told a press conference. "But no particular event will happen, don't worry."

On Monday, Iranian President Ahmadinejad faced foreign reporters for only the second time – and he seemed to enjoy the give and take, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.

"I'm interested to know whether there's anything the world could do to persuade Iran not to continue to make highly enriched uranium?" Palmer asked the president.

After dodging the question, the president finally replied: "Those who say we should give up our rights should come up with a good reason."

Ahmadinejad said that Iran would reconsider its compliance with NPT and membership of the International Atomic Energy Agency if they continued to be of no benefit to the country.

"What has more than 30 years of membership in the agency given us?" he asked.

Ahmadinejad on Monday also renewed his criticism of Israel, calling it a "fake regime" that cannot continue to exist.

"Iran's threatening statements about Israel and its defiance are part of the reason that Security Council members are united about sending a message to Iran about its nuclear program," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk at the United Nations. "But as the deadline at the U.N. approaches, action on sanctions appears unlikely."

"Yet, with the deadline for the international watchdog agency report four days away, some officials of the Iranian government have indicated that a temporary freeze or a Russian proposal to enrich uranium outside of Iran may be possible," Falk added.

The IAEA, a U.N. body, has accused Iran of failing to answer all questions about its nuclear program and reported the country to the Security Council for non-compliance with its demands.

"Working in the framework of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and the agency is our concrete policy," he added. "(But) if we see that they are violating our rights, or they don't want to accept (our rights), well, we will reconsider."

The Security Council has given Iran until Friday to suspend enrichment of uranium, a process that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors material for nuclear warheads. Iran has rejected the demand, arguing it is entitled to the peaceful use of enrichment as a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

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