Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country is not a threat to the U.S., but an opportunity.
    
"I heard Mr. Obama saying the next threat is Iran. Iran is an opportunity for everyone," Ahmadinejad said in an exclusive interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday.

"Historically, whoever made friends with Iran saw a lot of opportunities," he added.

In a speech ahead of his U.N. address, Ahmadinejad threatened to cut off the hands of would-be invaders and warned, "arrogant powers" that the Iranian nation will resist all invaders.
    
He also said that President Obama must make "big changes" in his Afghanistan policy.

"The occupying forces or the groups that have sent in the military to these two states, if indeed their policy has led to further instability, what do they want us to do?" Ahmadinejad said. "What exactly can we do for a car that has decided to speed up and basically crash down the hill? I don't see exactly what we can do under that scenario."
    
Ahmadinejad called the U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan an insult to the region.
    
He also reiterated that Iran is not building nuclear weapons.
  
Ahmadinejad is scheduled to speak at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday along with President Obama.