The 4th round of United Nations sanctions targeting Iran's nuclear program have been met with typical defiance. The Iranians have promised to continue uranium enrichment and threatened to reduce cooperation with UN inspectors.

Speaking during a visit to the World Expo in Shanghai, Ahmadinejad denounced the sanctions vote as a bid by the United States to control the Middle East and by the five permanent Security Council members to "monopolise" nuclear energy.

"We have always said the Security Council is a tool in the hands of the United States. It is not democratic, it is a tool of dictatorship," the Iranian president told reporters.

He called the US-drafted resolution adopted earlier this week a "worthless paper" and said it would "have no effect" on the Islamic republic, already subject to three previous sets of UN sanctions.

"Some countries believe they can be powerful by weakening and intimidating other nations," he said.

"Those who believe they can continue their hegemony through intimidation are making a big mistake... The period of intimidation and coercion is over."

On the other hand, Obama urged the world to support the Iranian people in their fight for "freedom," one year after disputed elections triggered major demonstrations.

"The courage of the Iranian people stands as an example to us and it challenges us to continue our efforts to bend the arch of history in the direction of justice," Obama said in the statement read by one of his human rights advisors.

"It is the responsibility of all free people and free nations to make it clear that we are on the side of those who seek freedom, justice and dignity, as surely as hope and history are," Obama said in the statement.

Obama said he looked "forward to the day when Iranians will be able to speak freely, assemble without fear and express their views without facing retribution, a day when the Iranian government will represent and foster rather than fear the aspirations of its own people."

Obama said last year's election will be "remembered for how the Iranian government brutally suppressed dissent and murdered the innocent, including a young woman left to die in the street."

U.S. administration as western countries wants to hit Iranian regime where it hurts more and that will be Human Rights. This is good for Iranian people and U.S. administration because on one side Iranians are not going to think that U.S. and UN only care about Nuclear Issue and on the other side the pressure on Iran’s regime will be so overwhelming that they won’t be able to go forward on their Nuclear strategy with full capacity. That’s a win-win situation.