Quotes from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Fortunately, Iranians are politically active worldwide.

Of course what is talked about in the U.N. General Assembly is very important. Officials, the leaders of nations, appear there to speak of the most important topics - what they perceive to be the most important topics.

For this reason, the expansion of relations with all countries is on the agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I mean balanced relationships, based on mutual respect and observation of each other's rights.

Any nation has the right and will indeed defend herself.

Governments and nations should sit together and resolve issues. Reforms must be reached through understanding. But others should not interfere.

No one places any trust in the words of the Americans.

I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it.

I know that DER SPIEGEL is a respected magazine. But I don't know whether it is possible for you to publish the truth about the Holocaust. Are you permitted to write everything about it?

Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury.

We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear bomb, we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do that.

The Zionists are very much, very adventuresome, very much seeking to fabricate things, and I think they see themselves at the end of the line, and I do firmly believe that they seek to create new opportunities for themselves and their adventurous behaviors.

The United States' administrations... must recognize that Iran is a big power. Having said that, we consider ourselves to be a human force and a cultural power and hence a friend of other nations. We have never sought to dominate others or to violate the rights of any other country.

The system of domination is founded on depriving nations of their true identity. It seeks to deprive nations of their culture, identity, self-confidence and in this way dominate them.

Global equations undergo changes, this is their nature.

Prior to the United Nations even being formed, Palestine was a country. But the right of the Palestinian people were trampled, and unfortunately, international organizations contributed to those rights being trampled.

Freedoms in Iran are genuine, true freedoms. Iranian people are free. Women in Iran enjoy the highest levels of freedom. In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country.

We desire an expansion of relations with regional states and the establishment of extensive public contacts.

Nuclear energy is the scientific achievement of the Iranian nation.

We do believe that freedom, the right to choose, the right to vote, respect and justice is the fundamental right of all people. All people must obtain these rights.

The UN structure is one-sided, stacked against the world of Islam.

Those who insist on transferring the Iranian nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council have received an additional argument for doing so.

I cannot determine what people or nations should do, but I do think that extremism gives birth to following and subsequent extremism.

It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global approvals.

In Iran I think nobody loses their job because of making a statement that reflects their opinion. From this point of view, conditions in Iran are far better than in many other places in the world.