"The reason why the US is pressuring the IAEA... is to escape from its claims on the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that it has not found," Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani told the agency.

The United States, which accuses Iran of using an atomic energy programme as a cover to develop nuclear weapons, has been pressuring the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to come down hard on the Islamic republic for its technical violations of the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"The US approach to Iran is one of threats and seeking concessions, in other words forcing Iran to accept its unlawful demands," Shamkhani said.

He added, without elaborating, that Iran's policy towards the United States was one of "deterrent-confrontation".

"You can not force a nation that is united, powerful and flexible," he added, before taking aim at American society.

"The US gets its strength from migrants taking their brains and expertise there. So its power does not belong to it -- it comes from others," he said.

In recent months, the United States has been piling pressure on Iran, by accusing the clerical leadership of meddling in Iraq, helping al-Qaeda fugitives and seeking a nuclear arsenal.

Shamkhani said the allegations over al-Qaeda were "baseless".

"Since we have ideological differences with al-Qaeda, talk of Iranian collaboration with that group is baseless," he said.

"But every one knows that al-Qaeda was started by the US, that most of its top leaders were trained by the US, and that they received US financial and logistical support," he added.

WAR.WIRE