"They want to put pressure on us but it won't have any effect. If anything, it may lead to a very harsh reaction by us," Larijani told the Hindu newspaper in an interview.

Last week the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that requires Iran to halt uranium enrichment and other sensitive nuclear fuel work by August 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.

A defiant President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said a day after the resolution passed on Monday that Iran would not bow to "the language of force and threats."

Larijani was dismissive of an international package of incentives to suspend uranium enrichment that had been previously offered.

"In an atmosphere where there is no trust, packages are meaningless," he said.

Several countries, led by the United States, have accused Iran of attempting to build a nuclear weapon. Tehran says the uranium work is for peaceful purposes.

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