TEHRAN (IRNA) -- The Iranian people are not afraid of the threat posed by the United Nations Security Council as they are supported by God Almighty, substitute Friday prayers leader Hojjatoleslam Ahmad Khatami said. Addressing the worshipers at Tehran University campus, Khatami added, "Patience and resistance are the two major factors that definitely thwart all the plots of enemies." Recalling the United States' aborted military operation to rescue its hostages in Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the cleric said, "During those days, the sands of the Tabas desert acted like forces of God Almighty and killed them (U.S. troops)."

Khatami was referring to the U.S. military attempt in April 1980 for rescuing its 52 hostages by secretly landing aircraft and troops near Tabas along the Dasht-e Kavir desert in eastern Iran, which was doomed to failure following a strong sandstorm that caused the crash of the two helicopters and a C-130 transport plane on the mission.

"God has protected the Iranian people during the past 27 years and thereafter He will support the nation," Khatami stressed.

The substitute leader's comments came a day after the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan sent the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei's report on Iran to the Security Council.

Ahmad Khatami added that the Islamic Republic of Iran tried for two and a half years so that the conflict might be solved in a peaceful manner, but the IAEA Board of Governors finally asked the agency director general to refer Iran's dossier to the UN Security Council.

Khatami said Iran's nuclear issue showed that the European Union, in spite of its conciliatory gesture was intimidated and the IAEA was unable to do its task.

This situation basically hurt the political reputation of the EU, rather than that of Iran, Khatami said. He went on to say, "In Iran's defense doctrine there is no place for nuclear weapons, a principle taken from Islam that teaches its followers not to deprive their enemies of water, and not to uproot their trees."

"If Iran's nuclear issue ends today, our enemies will bring up other issues like human rights and the fight against terrorism," he added. Ahmad Khatami told worshipers, "Our oil and gas resources will end in 30 years and nuclear energy is the future energy of humanity in all basic fields."