IRAN
Russia hosts Zarif, promises to stand by Iran on nuclear deal
Lavrov says, after meeting Zarif, Russia will do 'everything' to preserve nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
Iran accuses West of nuclear 'intimidation'
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, has accused the West of nuclear "intimidation" in speech to the UN general assembly which was boycotted by the US and Israel.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/09/2012926141320185283.html
Iran sanctions: Rouhani condemns US 'psychological warfare'
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has hit out at the United States over its reinstatement of economic sanctions.
He described the measures, which came into effect overnight, as "psychological warfare" which aimed to "sow division among Iranians".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-45092498?ocid=global_bbccom_email_06082018_top+news+stories
Britain views pre-emptive strike on Iran nuclear facilities as illegal
Britain views a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities as illegal under present circumstances and would not allow UK military bases to be used for this purpose, according to reports.
The Foreign Office declined to comment on suggestions that British ministers have been advised that a strike on Iran would breach international law because no imminent threat currently exists.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9636134/Britain-views-pre-emptive-strike-on-Iran-nuclear-facilities-as-illegal.html
Iran loads 'first domestically-made nuclear fuel'
Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticises foreign attempts to stop Iran's nuclear progress, in a speech made after he visited a new nuclear
Iran has staged an elaborate ceremony to unveil new developments in its nuclear programme.
Tehran says it has used domestically-made nuclear fuel in a reactor for the first time, and also unveiled more efficient enrichment centrifuges.
Western countries fear Iran wants to make nuclear weapons; Tehran says it only wants to produce its own energy.
The government unveiled the "new generation" of faster, more efficient uranium enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz facility in the centre of the country.
facilityhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17041135
Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant connected to national grid Iran's first nuclea...
Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant connected to national grid
Iran's first nuclear power station has been connected to the country's electricity grid, state news reports.
Bushehr was supplying 60 megawatts of its 1,000 megawatt capacity to the national grid, officials said.
But the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said it is "increasingly concerned" that Iran is also secretly working on components for a nuclear weapons programme.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14779227
Iran still fails to cooperate to prove nuclear programme purely peaceful, U...
Iran still fails to cooperate to prove nuclear programme purely peaceful, UN warns
Iran is still not providing the cooperation needed to conclude that its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful activities, the head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency warned today.
“Full implementation by Iran of its binding obligations is needed to establish international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano told its Board of Governors in Vienna.
Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes of providing energy, but many other countries contend that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons and last June the Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions against it, citing the proliferation risks of its nuclear programme and its continued failure to cooperate with the IAEA.
The issue has been of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that Iran had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The IAEA continues to verify that declared material at nuclear facilities and outside locations that Iran has reported under its Safeguards Agreement as a signatory to the NPT has not been diverted to other uses, Mr. Amano said.
But the country “is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable the Agency to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities,” he warned. “I request Iran to take steps towards the full implementation of its Safeguards Agreement and its other obligations.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37697&Cr=nuclear&Cr1=
Iran: Rebuffed by China and Russia Iran’s proposal for a diplomatic tour of ...
Iran: Rebuffed by China and Russia
Iran’s proposal for a diplomatic tour of its nuclear sites floundered on Thursday after China effectively rejected the invitation and Russia said such a trip could never replace United Nations inspections or negotiations with world powers. The European Union had turned down Iran’s offer to allow selected ambassadors accredited to the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency to visit two nuclear installations this weekend. The United States was not invited. China said it would be “difficult” for its ambassador to attend because its representative was “still in China right now.” Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said such a visit could never replace regular United Nations inspections or talks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/world/middleeast/14briefs-Iran.html
Analysts Take Doubtful View of Iran Nuclear Inspection Tour
Iran recently invited a group of nations to tour the Islamic Republic's nuclear-related sites - on January 15 and 16. This gesture has been dismissed by many in the West, who say Iran would never show anything that may be part of a possible nuclear weapons program. Still, Iran clearly believes that it will reap benefits from conducting this tour.
Iran mulls uranium exchange Iran reconsiders compromise in light of new san...
Iran mulls uranium exchange
Iran reconsiders compromise in light of new sanctions proposal.
In an effort to stave off mounting pressure on its nuclear program, Iran announced Saturday it was positively considering proposals made by Brazil and Turkey on an uranium exchange scheme for civilian nuclear use, Army Radio reported.
In such a compromise, Iran's low-level enriched uranium would be traded for nuclear fuel rods enriched abroad to levels enabling it to pursue civilian nuclear development only.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast reportedly said that "new formulas have been proposed to the [nuclear] fuel exchange, and I believe we can reach agreement over them."
http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=175019
Clinton urges Iran to fully engage in nuclear talks US Secretary of State ...
Clinton urges Iran to fully engage in nuclear talks
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Iran to enter next week's nuclear talks in good faith.
Mrs Clinton also told the BBC that Iran can enrich uranium for civilian purposes in the future, a rare statement for an American official.
Washington has always been vague when asked whether Iran should one day be allowed to enrich its own uranium for civilian energy.
But Mrs Clinton told the BBC that Iran can enrich uranium for civilian purposes at some future date once it has demonstrated it can do so in a responsible manner and in accordance with Iran's international obligations.
"We told them that they are entitled to the peaceful use of civil nuclear energy," she said.
"But they haven't yet restored the confidence of the international community, to the extent where the international community would feel comfortable allowing them to enrich.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11917186
Iran nuclear right is non-negotiable: Ahmadinejad President Mahmoud Ahmadi...
Iran nuclear right is non-negotiable: Ahmadinejad
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Iran's right to nuclear capabilities was non-negotiable, ahead of proposed talks with major world powers on its controversial atomic program.
Western diplomats have made clear they want Iran to address their concerns about Tehran's nuclear program in talks that the United States, France, Russia, Britain, Germany and China have offered Tehran later this month.
"We have repeatedly said that our (nuclear) rights are not negotiable ... We only hold talks to resolve international problems ... to help the establishment of peace," Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech in central town of Qazvin.
EU diplomats in Brussels said they believed Ahmadinejad was not closing the door altogether on discussion of Iran's nuclear program but merely reiterating a longstanding position that Iran had the same rights as other countries to develop peaceful nuclear power.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A966420101110
Iran protests to UN over US war plan Iran complains to UN officials about US...
Iran protests to UN over US war plan
Iran complains to UN officials about US threats of military attack on the country over its nuclear program, vowing a response to any such strike.
In letters to the heads of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the General Assembly that circulated Wednesday, Iran's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Eshaq Alehabib, slammed the US plan for an Iran strike which is based on "totally false" grounds, AP reported.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/139320.html
Iran: Any attack on nuke plant would be an 'int'l crime' Salehi tells IRNA ...
Iran: Any attack on nuke plant would be an 'int'l crime'
Salehi tells IRNA strike on facilities would have global consequences, after Bolton says Israel would have to hit Bushehr within next 8 days to prevent Teheran from acquiring working plant.
An attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be an "international crime," Iranian nuclear chiefAli Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying Tuesday.
In an interview with IRNA, Salehi said that the impact of such a strike would be global. "This is stipulated in the resolutions passed by the IAEA and the UN Security Council as well as in the resolution adopted at the close of the NPT Review Conference," he stressed.
Salehi's comments came after former US envoy to the UN John Bolton told the Fox Business Network that if Israel wants to prevent Iran from acquiring a working nuclear plant, a military strike must be launched against the Bushehr nuclear power facility within the next eight days.
Russia, who is supplying the uranium fuel for the plant, announced last week that they will begin loading the Bushehr reactor on August 21.
http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=185052
U.S. remains open to engagement with Iran: Clinton As mounting sanction pre...
U.S. remains open to engagement with Iran: Clinton
As mounting sanction pressure on Iran, the Obama administration continues voicing its "dual-track" approach to Tehran, saying Washington remains "open to engagement" with Iran over its nuclear program.
"We remain open to engagement. But they do know what they have to do. They have to reassure the international community by words and actions as to what their nuclear program is intended for," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the New York Times in an interview.
According to the interview transcript released by the State Department on Sunday, Secretary Clinton said Washington believes that the sanctions have "the best potential for changing Iranian behavior," and that the effects of the sanctions were "beginning to bite" the Gulf country.
The Obama administration has tried the "dual-track" strategy, a combination of diplomatic mediation and economic sanctions, to bring the international community together to make Iranian leaders realize the "importance of changing their actions and decisions concerning their nuclear program."
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/09/c_13435792.htm
'Iran nearing nuclear bombs' Russia warns Russian President Dmitry Medvedev...
'Iran nearing nuclear bombs' Russia warns
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says Iran is "moving closer" to having the potential to create nuclear weapons.
It is one of the first times Moscow has publicly recognised that Iran might be moving towards a nuclear weapon.
Russia, which has strong economic and military ties with Iran, has traditionally been an ally of Tehran.
But it has recently adopted a tougher stance towards Tehran's nuclear drive, and backed the fourth round of UN sanctions that was imposed last month.
"Iran is moving closer to possessing the potential which in principle could be used for the creation of nuclear weapons," Mr Medvedev told a meeting of ambassadors in Moscow.
The US and major European Union powers suspect that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10600100.stm
Iran launches nuclear fusion bid
Iran has launched a programme aimed at developing a nuclear fusion reactor - an ambition long-cherished by Western nations.
Asghar Sediqzadeh, head of the fusion research institute, said initial studies would last for two years, and a reactor would take 10 years to build.
Fusion is used in hydrogen bombs, but scientists have been unable to harness the energy created in such reactions.
Iran is already under UN sanctions because of its nuclear activities.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10749405
Iran rejects claim that planes were denied fuel Iran's foreign ministry has...
Iran rejects claim that planes were denied fuel
Iran's foreign ministry has denied claims that the country's planes are being prevented from refuelling at some foreign airports.
On Monday an Iranian aviation official accused the UK, Germany and the United Arab Emirates of refusing to supply fuel for Iranian airliners.
But a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that "no such limitation has been imposed".
On Tuesday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the false report had been part of a "psychological war" against Tehran.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10518662.stm
Iran 'has proof US kidnapped missing scientist' Iran has handed over new doc...
Iran 'has proof US kidnapped missing scientist'
Iran has handed over new documents proving one of its nuclear scientists was abducted by the US, Tehran says.
The evidence, the contents of which have not been disclosed, has reportedly been given to the Swiss embassy, which represents US interests in Iran.
Shahram Amiri, who disappeared during a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia a year ago, is believed to be in the United States.
The US has strenuously denied abducting Mr Amiri, but ABC News reported in March that the scientist had defected and was helping the CIA compile intelligence on Iran's controversial nuclear weapons programme.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10501753.stm
CIA says it moved Iranian scientist, 2nd informant to U.S. over safety concerns
The Iranian scientist who returned to his homeland this week was one of two CIA informants whisked out of Iran last year by the agency amid concerns that the Tehran government had discovered they were providing secrets to the United States, current and former U.S. officials said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071605971.html
Iran: Missing Scientist Takes Refuge in Pakistan Embassy in US
The latest twist in scientist Shahram Amiri's case follows conflicting accounts, reportedly by the scientist himself, that he had been kidnapped and tortured by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency or that he was in the United States for academic studies.
Iran says Amiri was captured and handed over to U.S. intelligence agents while he was visiting Saudi Arabia. Washington denies the charge.
Iranian scientist surfaces in US
The Pakistani foreign ministry has confirmed that an Iranian nuclear scientist, who Iran claims was abducted by the US, has taken refuge at their embassy in Washington DC.
The scientist, Shahram Amiri, was "dropped off" on Monday night, according to Abdul Basit, a spokesman for the Pakistani foreign ministry in Islamabad.
Iran and the US have no diplomatic relations, so Tehran's interests in Washington are handled by an "interests section" at the Pakistani embassy.
The interests section, where Amiri was dropped off, is separate from the main Pakistani embassy in Washington.
Iranian authorities have repeatedly said that Amiri was seized by the CIA as he visited Saudi Arabia last year. US officials have denied those allegations.
Iranian state media reported that Amiri asked for a "quick return" to Iran, and Basit said Iranian authorities were making arrangements to get him out of the United States.
The US state department said on Tuesday that Amiri was "free to go," and that there was no evidence he was mistreated during his time in the US.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/07/201071353210347523.html
Missing Iranian scientist appears at embassy in US
A missing Iranian nuclear scientist, who Tehran says was kidnapped a year ago by the CIA, has taken refuge in the Iran section of Pakistan's US embassy.
A spokesman from Pakistan's Foreign Office, Abdul Basit, told the BBC that Shahram Amiri was seeking immediate repatriation to Iran.
In June videos purportedly of Mr Amiri but containing contradictory information on his whereabouts emerged.
The US rejected Tehran's claims that it was behind Mr Amiri's disappearance.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10609461.stm
Obama signs 'tough' Iran sanctions "With these sanctio...
Obama signs 'tough' Iran sanctions
"With these sanctions -- along with others -- we are striking at the heart of the Iranian government's ability to fund and develop its nuclear programmes," Obama said at a White House ceremony.
The new sanctions are designed to force foreign firms to choose whether to do business with Iran or the United States.
The unilateral US sanctions were passed in addition to new United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran, passed last month.
The UN penalties, which were signed by traditional backers like China and Russia, were meant to punish Tehran for refusing to reduce by half its uranium enrichment work, the most controversial aspect of its atomic drive.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, said on Monday that he would postpone nuclear talks as a "penalty" for the latest UN sanctions.
Iran has said its nuclear programme is for civilian power generation, not military weapons.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/07/20107234119788744.html
Iranian passenger jets 'refused fuel'
Iran says that Britain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates are refusing to provide fuel to Iranian passenger planes.
The move, which has not been confirmed, follows unilateral sanctions imposed by the US, the Isna news agency reported.
Iran is facing tougher sanctions designed to impede the development of its nuclear programme.
Tehran says its nuclear industry is for peaceful purposes but Western powers fear it is trying to develop a bomb.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10511420.stm
Russia's Medvedev raps EU, US sanctions against Iran Russian President Dmitr...
Russia's Medvedev raps EU, US sanctions against Iran
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has criticised the unilateral US and EU sanctions on Iran that go beyond those approved by the UN Security Council.
'Collective action'
In an interview that ran on Thursday, the Russian leader criticised the EU and US for acting unilaterally.
"We didn't agree to this when we discussed the joint resolution at the UN," Mr Medvedev told the Wall Street Journal.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10348630.stm
Russia alarmed by CIA view of Iran's weapons Russian President Dmitry Medve...
Russia alarmed by CIA view of Iran's weapons
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday he was alarmed by U.S. assertions that Iranmay have enough fuel for two nuclear weapons and warned that if confirmed the Islamic Republic may face new measures.
Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta told ABC's "This Week" television program that the agency thinks Iran has enough low-enriched uranium now for two weapons, but that Tehran would have to further enrich the material first.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65R0HD20100628
...
Workable diplomacy on Iran
Fresh sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council against Iran on Wednesday should actually be viewed as another chance for further diplomatic effort to break the nuclear impasse through peaceful solutions acceptable to all parties.
Compared to the previous UN resolutions imposed since 2006, the new one is broader and more intense and has created new categories of sanctions against the Islamic nation.
It prohibits Iran from investing in nuclear enrichment operations abroad and imposes binding restrictions on the country's conventional arms imports.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2010-06/11/c_13344703.htm
Iran threatens to revise IAEA ties
Iran has said it could revise its ties with the UN's nuclear agency in the wake of a Security Council vote for further sanctions against the country for its disputed nuclear programme.
An influential legislator said on Thursday that the country's parliament will "revisit" relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following Wednesday's vote at the Security Council.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/06/20106109652822759.html
Ahmadinejad: Israel is doomed Iran's presidenthassaid Isr...
Ahmadinejad: Israel is doomed
Iran's president has said Israel is "doomed" during a speech in which he accused Western powers of monopolising nuclear technology.
The Iranian leader also described the US as being disingenuous, saying: "It is clear the United States is not against nuclear bombs because they have a Zionist regime with nuclear bombs in the region."
But he added: "They are trying to save the Zionist regime, but the Zionist regime will not survive. It is doomed."
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/06/201061174050808637.html
Ahmadinejad: New UN Iran sanctions 'fit for dustbin' President Mahmoud Ahma...
Ahmadinejad: New UN Iran sanctions 'fit for dustbin'
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the new UN sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme as a "used handkerchief" fit for the dustbin.
Earlier, the UN Security Council voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Tehran for failing to halt its nuclear enrichment programme.
They include tighter finance curbs and an expanded arms embargo, but not the crippling sanctions the US had wanted.
Iran denies building nuclear weapons, insisting it seeks only atomic energy.
US President Barack Obama said the sanctions sent an unmistakable message about the determination to stop the spread of nuclear arms.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10280356.stm
IAEA Chief: Iran's Nuclear Program is 'Special Case' The head of the Interna...
IAEA Chief: Iran's Nuclear Program is 'Special Case'
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is a "special case" for the agency's monitoring teams because of suspicions the country is hiding experimental nuclear programs.
Speaking at the opening of an agency conference Monday in Vienna, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Iranian officials have not provided the necessary cooperation for the IAEA to confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is for peaceful activities.
Iran faces 'most significant UN nuclear sanctions'
Iran faces its toughest sanctions for failing to comply with UN demands over its nuclear enrichment, the US says.
The Security Council is to vote on a fourth round of sanctions to tighten financial curbs on Iran, while expanding a limited arms embargo.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said they were "the most significant sanctions that Iran has ever faced".
But Iran's president warned his country would not agree to nuclear talks if the sanctions were imposed.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said that a nuclear fuel-swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil was an offer that would not be repeated.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10270820.stm
Medvedev: Deal Exists for Iran Nuclear Sanctions Russian President Dmitri M...
Medvedev: Deal Exists for Iran Nuclear Sanctions
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Saturday there is international agreement on nuclear sanctions for Iran.
His comments came after two days of talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Mr. Medvedev said he hopes Iran's leadership "will hear the voice" of the international community.
Russia has been reluctant to impose sanctions on Iran, which is a longtime trade partner.
The United States and Western allies have accused Iran of working to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran says its program is strictly for peaceful purposes.
Iran FM urges acceptance of uranium swap agreement Iranian Foreign Minister...
Iran FM urges acceptance of uranium swap agreement
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Wednesday urged the international community to accept an enriched uranium swap agreement between Iran, Turkey and Brazil.
Iran would either cooperate provided that the international community accepts the agreement, or wage confrontation should new sanctions be adopted, Mottaki told a press conference in the Iranian embassy in Brussels.
"We prefer the first option but it's up to them to decide which one they want," he said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-06/03/c_13330216.htm
...
Iran 'pursuing' further enrichment
The United Nations' nuclear watchdog says Iran is pushing ahead with higher-level uranium enrichment and has failed to answer its questions about possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said Tehran refused to address concerns about possible undisclosed nuclear activities in a report the US said "clearly shows Iran's continued failure to comply with its international obligations and its sustained lack of co-operation with the IAEA".
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/06/20106115817720223.html
France urges rapid adoption of Iran sanctions
A report by a U.N. watchdog saying Iran is stepping up uranium enrichment measures leaves world powers no alternative but to push for new sanctions, France's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6502E620100601
Iran’s new nuclear proposal could be a confidence-building measure – Ban ...
Iran’s new nuclear proposal could be a confidence-building measure – Ban
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said an Iranian proposal on its nuclear programme presented today to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be assessed by all concerned parties and, if accepted, could serve as an important confidence-building measure and pave the way for a negotiated solution to the dispute.
Earlier, the IAEA spokesperson said the agency’s Director General Yukiya Amano had received the representatives of Iran, Brazil and Turkey, who delivered a letter signed by the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi.
The letter follows the joint declaration signed by the three countries in Tehran on 17 May, regarding fuel supply for the Tehran research nuclear reactor. Mr. Amano will convey the letter to the United States, France and Russia for their consideration, according to the IAEA spokesman.
Under the initiative brokered by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Iran would ship its low-enriched uranium out of the country in exchange for high-enriched uranium for use at a civilian nuclear research site in Tehran.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34791&Cr=iran&Cr1=
Effectiveness of Proposed UN Sanctions on Iran Debatable The U.S. has put b...
Effectiveness of Proposed UN Sanctions on Iran Debatable
The U.S. has put before the U.N. Security Council a new set of sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program. But they had to be diluted to secure the support of China and Russia, both of which have trade ties to Iran and have been reluctant to back sanctions.
Last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of crippling U.N. sanctions if Iran did not abandon its nuclear ambitions. But by the time she announced earlier this month that the five permanent Security Council members had agreed on a draft sanctions resolution the adjective crippling had disappeared from U.S. diplomatic vocabulary.
Iran dismisses UN sanctions push The head of Iran's atomi...
Iran dismisses UN sanctions push
The head of Iran's atomic energy agency has said a US attempt to push for further sanctions against his country will not work, and will only serve to "invalidate" Western powers.
He spoke a day after the US said it would submit a resolution at the UN security council for a fourth round of sanctions against Iran for its disputed nuclear programme.
"They [Western countries] invalidate themselves in the view of public opinion by issuing sanctions," Salehi said.
"They feel that for the first time in the world, developing countries are able to defend their rights in the world arena without resorting to the major powers and that is very hard for them."
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/05/201051913252230903.html
Iran accepts nuclear-fuel swap deal ...
Iran accepts nuclear-fuel swap deal
Iran has signed an agreement brokered by Brazil to ship low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for nuclear fuel for its power plant, according to official media.
The deal agreed on Monday would oblige Iran to send Turkey 1.2 tonnes of uranium under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), beginning next month.
In exchange, Iran would receive - within a year's time - 120kg of highly-enriched nuclear fuel rods through a still to be negotiated agreement with the so-called Vienna Group.
The Vienna Group refers to the four parties of the United States, Russia, France and the IAEA.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/05/201051755444737189.html
Major powers agree on draft Iran sanctions
Major powers including China and Russia have agreed on a draft sanctions resolution against Iran over its nuclear program and will share it with the full U.N. Security Council Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
The announcement appeared an implicit rebuff to a nuclear fuel swap deal that Brazil and Turkey worked out with Iran, although China -- the major power most reluctant to sanction Iran -- welcomed that deal and urged more talks with Tehran.
Western powers have said the fuel swap offer promoted by Brazil and Turkey will not be enough to ease their worries and Israel, which regards Iranian nuclear capability as a direct threat, dismissed it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64H3RP20100518
Iran leader Khamenei brands US 'nuclear criminal' Iran's Supreme Leader...
Iran leader Khamenei brands US 'nuclear criminal'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has labelled the US an "atomic criminal" at a conference on nuclear disarmament in Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei said in a message read out at the conference: "Only the US government has committed an atomic crime.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8627143.stm
Iran 'psyched pro-disarmament front up'
Tehran conference offered a chance for non-nuclear states to succeed in reaching unachieved NPT goals in the upcoming NPT Review Conference in the US, an MP says.
"The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) pursues two main goals, which include preparing the ground for access to peaceful nuclear technology and making efforts to disarm nuclear-armed countries around the world," spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Parliament Kazem Jalali told Mehr News Agency.
"However, the NPT has succeeded in achieving neither of these two goals," he said.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123736§ionid=351020101
Iran calls for new nuclear body Iran's president has called for the format...
Iran calls for new nuclear body
Iran's president has called for the formation of a new international body to oversee nuclear disarmament as the country opened a two-day summit on civilian nuclear energy in the capital, Tehran.
Ahmadinejad said his proposed organisation would provide a balance to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"Until now the presence and political domination of the agency has prevented them from carrying out their duties and has diverted the agency from performing its legal obligations."
"[Those who] possess, have used or threatened to use nuclear weapons [should] be suspended from the IAEA and its board of governors, especially the US which has used a weapon made of atomic waste in the Iraq war," he said.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/04/201041762943810423.html
Iran opens 'alternative' nuke summit
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday opened a two-day nuclear conference under the slogan “Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for No One.” The conference came as a response to the April 12 US nuclear summit in Washington to which Iran was not invited.
In his opening speech, Ahmadinejad called to expel countries that used or threatened to use nuclear weapons from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including the US. He also accused the US of not acting seriously against nuclear weapon proliferation, and called on it to stop making nuclear threats, adding “The era of reliance on nuclear bombs has passed. People [who make such threats] lack reason and civil culture.”
http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=173346