Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his country will produce nuclear fuel on an industrial scale soon.

Speaking in a provincial city Wednesday, Mr. Ahmadinejad did not specify when. 

He said Tehran will not be intimidated by what he called bullying powers who want to deprive Iran of its nuclear ambitions.

In December, the U.N. Security Council passed economic sanctions against Iran for its controversial nuclear enrichment program.

Since then, Mr. Ahmadinejad has called the UN sanctions "invalid," insisting that Iran will continue its program. Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Tehran would begin working on installing 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges at a plant in Natanz.

The U.S. and its Western allies believe Iran is developing nuclear technology for weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

Producing nuclear fuel that could be used in a power plant would be another step in mastering the nuclear fuel cycle.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.