'No nation will dare' to test power of Iran

The parade in Tehran showcased Iran's surface-to-surface Ghadr, Sajjil and Shahab-3 missiles, which have a range of up to 1,250 miles that puts Israel and US bases in the region within Iran's reach.

The Shahab-3 missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Although Tehran doesn't have one, this has been a source for Western concerns along with Iran's controversial uranium enrichment process, which the international community fears masks ambitions for an atomic bomb.

"Today, our armed forces have so much power that no enemy will harbour evil thoughts about laying its hands on Iranian territory," Ahmadinejad said at the parade marking National Army Day. The speech was broadcast live on state TV.

He also urged the US to stop supporting Israel and to dismantle the American military presence in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Tehran sees American troops on its doorstep in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf as a threat, and Ahmadinejad reiterated his allegations that the US presence was the source of the region's instability.

"They have to leave our region. This is not a request. It is an order from the nations of the region. It is the will of the regional nations," he said.

The US has been pressing for a new round of international sanctions against Iran after Tehran spurned President Barack Obama's offer for dialogue over its accelerated nuclear development.

According to a report in the New York Times, a January memo from US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to the White House warned that the US lacks a nimble long-term plan for dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

Mr Gates's three-page memo set off efforts in the Pentagon, White House and intelligence agencies to come up with new options, including the use of the military, the Times said. But White House officials last night strongly disagreed the memo caused a reconsideration of the US approach to Iran.