NEW YORK (AP) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said “the future belongs to Iran” and has challenged the United States to accept that the country has a major role in the world.

The comments came in an hourlong interview Sunday with The Associated Press on the first day of his visit to the United States to attend the annual General Assembly of the United Nations this week.
He insisted that his government does not want an atomic bomb -- something he has said in the past -- and that Iran is only seeking peace and a nuclear weapons-free world.
“The United States’ administrations… must recognize that Iran is a big power,” he said. “Having said that, we consider ourselves to be a humanitarian 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.
“Those who insist on having hostilities with us, kill and destroy the option of friendship with us in the future, which is unfortunate because it is clear the future belongs to Iran and that enmities will be fruitless.”
Ahmadinejad argued that the opposition Green Movement continues to enjoy rights in Iran but said that in the end it must respect “majority rule.”
Government opponents “have their activities that are ongoing and they also express their views publicly. They have several parties, as well as… many newspapers and publications. And so there are really no restrictions of such nature,” the president said.
Ahmadinejad said Iran is more free than some other countries. “I believe that when we discuss the subject of freedoms and liberty, it has to be done on a comparative basis and (it must be) kept in mind that democracy at the end of the day means the rule of the majority, so the minority cannot rule.”
He added: “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.”
Ahmadinejad asserted that international nuclear regulators had never found proof that Iran is pursuing an atomic bomb.
“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. We are saying that the arsenal of nuclear bombs (worldwide) has to be destroyed as well,” he said.
The U.S. accuses Iran of hiding plans to build a nuclear bomb; Iran denies that and says it’s working only toward building nuclear power plants.
On an American citizen who was recently released by Iran, he said, “We’re very glad that that lady was released.”
“(Due) to the humanitarian perspective the Islamic Republic chose to adopt on the subject, she was released on bail,” Ahmadinejad said. “And we hope that the other two will soon be able to prove and provide evidence to the court that they had no ill intention in crossing the border, so that their release can also be secured.”
Tying the case to Iran’s assertion that eight of its citizens are being held unjustly in the United States, he said, “It certainly does not give us joy when we see people in prison, wherever in the world that may be, and even when we think of prisoners here.”
Asked about Robert Levinson, Ahmadinejad hinted that his government considers it possible that the retired FBI employee had been on some “mission” when he vanished in Iran.
“Of course, if it becomes clear what his goal was, or if he was indeed on a mission, then perhaps specific assistance can be given,” the Iranian president said. “For example, if he had plans to visit with a group or an individual or go to another country, he would be easier to trace in that instance.”
Asked about the nuclear talks, he stated, “We have placed no restrictions on negotiations,” adding, “If they tell us officially that there’s a joint meeting, we’ll make the preparations for it.”
But at the same time, Ahmadinejad said Iran wants answers to a number of questions it has presented to the six powers.
They include whether the group wants “to create the circumstances for further friendship or for further confrontation,” whether the six are fully committed to implementing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and “what the group’s opinion is regarding the atomic bombs that the Zionist regime holds,” he said, a reference to Israel, which refuses to confirm it possesses a nuclear arsenal.
“Their response does not prevent the resumption of negotiations, but it certainly will define the framework for those talks when they resume,” Ahmadinejad said.
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