Iranian president said Friday that his country was not afraid of U.S. military action over its uranium enrichment program, but added that he thought any such strikes were very unlikely.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad greets students from Indonesian university (UI) as he leaves the campus after giving a lecture, at the Depok district on the outskirt of Jakarta May 11, 2006. Iran's nuclear programme is peaceful and has no military purpose, Ahmadinejad said on Thursday, adding he was ready to engage in dialogue with anybody. [Reuters]

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a dialogue with Indonesian Islamic leaders.

Asked whether his country was prepared to face an attack by the United States, he said "that is very unlikely because they know the Islamic Republic of Iran is a strong country."

"They are trying to frighten our country by waging a propaganda campaign using strong words. The people of Iran and the country are not afraid of them," he said to applause from the audience.

The United States is leading an international campaign to get Iran to open its nuclear program to international inspections, saying it fears the Middle Eastern country is developing nuclear weapons - a charge Iran denies.

While Washington has said it favors a diplomatic end to the dispute, it hasn't ruled out military force and is behind a charge at the United Nations for economic sanctions to be brought down on Iran.

One member of the 30-strong audience urged Ahamdinejad to go ahead and develop nuclear weapons, saying the "enemies of Islam" also had them.

The Iranian leader did not reply directly, but quipped that "every young man in the Islamic world is an atomic bomb because they have faith, God and love the character of the Prophet Muhammad."

Ahmadinejad, known for his fiery rhetoric, has become a pariah in the West.

But he has received a warm welcome during his three-day visit to Indonesia, where his willingness to criticize the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan _ seen by many here as attacks on Islam _ his outspoken criticism of Israel, and his refusal to stand down to international pressure on the nuclear dispute resonates with many of its young people.

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