Iran digging in for showdown

IRAN'S HARDLINE regime was Thursday digging in for a showdown against arch-enemy the United States, with its supreme leader vowing not to halt a disputed nuclear drive despite looming UN Security Council action.

IRAN'S HARDLINE regime was Thursday digging in for a showdown against arch-enemy the United States, with its supreme leader vowing not to halt a disputed nuclear drive despite looming UN Security Council action.

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"Today, the Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic republic of Iran, more powerful than before and like steel, will stand against any pressure or conspiracy," a defiant Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency on Wednesday opened the way for Security Council action against Iran, which despite its denials is suspected of using an atomic energy drive as a mask for weapons development.