Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said his country had no intention of building nuclear bombs, but it was determined to continue its policy of developing nuclear energy.

"We don't need atomic bombs, and based on our religious teaching we will not pursue them. But at the same time we want to be strong, and being strong means having knowledge and technology," he said in a speech in Tehran.

But the United States kept up the pressure. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said there had been "a clear pattern of actions taken in secret to develop capabilities that obviously can be used for evil purposes."

Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Akbar Salehi, stormed out of an IAEA board meeting Friday after the board approved a U.S.-backed resolution giving Tehran until October 31 to come clean about its nuclear plans.

Germany's Der Spiegel magazine published an interview with Salehi at the weekend in which he said Tehran might consider leaving the IAEA and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

But the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization told delegates from the IAEA's 136 member countries Monday that Tehran had no intention of withdrawing from the 1968 pact.

"Iran is fully committed to its NPT responsibilities, not only because of its contractual obligations, but also because of its religious and ethical considerations," said Gholamreza Aghazadeh, who is also a vice president.

Washington, which labeled Iran a member of an axis of evil with North Korea and pre-war Iraq, lobbied hard to get the tough IAEA resolution passed.

Abraham said he was pleased by Aghazadeh's words in the wake of strong hints Tehran might consider leaving the NPT, like Pyongyang did earlier this year.

"I'm hopeful that it represents a decision to fully comply with (IAEA chief Mohamed) ElBaradei's efforts," Abraham said.

IRAN SAYS VOTE "ENGINEERED"

Aghazadeh said Friday's resolution was "engineered in a way to guarantee its non- or half-implementation," suggesting Iran might be unable meet the October 31 deadline to answer all the IAEA's outstanding questions about its nuclear program.

Abraham told a news conference that Iran had been given plenty of time to put together the necessary information.

"It's only been their reluctance or recalcitrance, or refusal ... that prevents it from being available today."

ElBaradei urged Iran to meet the October 31 deadline so that the IAEA could assure the world that Iran's nuclear program was peaceful.

The IAEA's recent discovery of bomb-grade uranium in Iran spurred fears Tehran has been secretly purifying uranium for use in an atomic weapon. Iran blamed the finding on contaminated machinery purchased abroad, but ElBaradei wants details.

By the October deadline, Tehran must also grant "unrestricted access" to IAEA inspectors and permit them to take environmental samples wherever they choose. Tehran has refused to let IAEA inspectors to take samples at some sites.