Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrapped up his five-day visit to Latin America, as he stressed that any type of pressure on Tehran would have no effect on its nuclear program. \r\n

Ahmadinejad along with Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrapped up his five-day visit to Latin America, as he stressed that any type of pressure on Tehran would have no effect on its nuclear program.

Ahmadinejad left Quito on an Ecuadorian Air Force plane headed for the southwestern city of Guayaquil on Friday, from where he was seen off by Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino before his flight to Tehran.

"Embargoes and sanctions against Iran have had no effect," Ahmadinejad said in an interview in Quito, Ecuador, on Friday at the end of a four-nation tour that also took in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba..
"Naturally, if the United States wants to disturb, damage and strike the Iranian people, the Iranian people also stand very strong. It will respond firmly."

The Iranian president was in Ecuador on the last leg of his four-nation tour of Latin America, during which he also met and held talks with the leaders and senior officials of Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.

The Iranian president's trip took place as tensions rise further still following new US sanctions intended to inflict economic damage, in a bid to force Iran to drop its nuclear program.

Leaders in all four Latin American nations have enhanced diplomatic and trade ties with Iran in recent years while their relations with the United States have been downgraded amid popular demands for an end to dependence on Washington.