Iran News and Discussions

[Pintu]

UN urges resumption of Iran nuclear talks

UN urges resumption of Iran nuclear talks
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:46:41 GMT

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon


The UN chief urges the resumption of talks over Iran's nuclear program, rejecting any link between the long disputed issue and the post-vote developments.

In an interview with al-Hayat, Ban Ki-moon said that international efforts to revive talks with Iran and its domestic affairs were not interrelated and urged “all parties to move forward in the negotiations.”

He appealed to US President Barack Obama to pursue his policy of engaging Iran diplomatically.

The secretary general also urged the Iranian authorities to “address the current situation as soon as possible without resorting to force and in accordance with international law.”

The UN call for the resumption of talks comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday urged a “peaceful settlement” of the nuclear issue.

"A peaceful settlement on Iran's nuclear issue needs to be reached," Lavrov said. "I don't think that the Iranian leadership will make any changes in its position and we need to be ready to have patience."

US President Barack Obama said in a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that “any direct dialogue or diplomacy with Iran is going to be affected by the events of the last several weeks.”

President Obama, however, added that 'multilateral discussions' with Iran on the country's nuclear program will continue.

The Obama administration has promised to patch up ties with Iran and to solve the country's nuclear issue. Iran says it is open to talks only within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Post-election unrest was sparked in Iran after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected by a landslide in the June 12 election.

Protestors have staged rallies mainly in Tehran, with some of them turning violent and leading to deaths and injuries.

AR/SC/MD

 

[I-G]

US military frees five Iranian diplomats in Iraq: IRNA

US military frees five Iranian diplomats in Iraq: IRNA
9 Jul 2009, 1506 hrs IST, AFP



TEHRAN: Five Iranian diplomats held by the US military in Iraq since January 2007 were freed on Thursday, the official IRNA news agency said, quoting Tehran's ambassador to Baghdad.

"The five Iranian diplomats abducted in Iraq were handed over by the occupying US forces to the Iraqi prime minister (Nuri al-Maliki)," the ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi said.

He said the five men were to be handed over to the Iranian embassy after they met Maliki.

"The five Iranians were released and they are in the hands of the Iraqi government. We should receive them in the next hours," a source at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad said.

The US embassy had no immediate comment.

US forces, which accuse Iran of funding and equipping Shiite militias in Iraq, had arrested the five at an office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on January 11, 2007.

It accused them of being agents for Tehran, arming militias and inciting anti-US attacks in Iraq.

The arrests triggered a diplomatic row, with Tehran accusing US forces in Iraq of violating international diplomatic regulations, but Washington and the US military in Iraq maintained they had no diplomatic status.

Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari had said that the five Iranians had been working in Arbil with official sanction, but that their "liaison office" had not yet become a full consulate.

US military frees five Iranian diplomats in Iraq: IRNA - Middle East - World - The Times of India

 

[Pintu]

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iran to offer West 'new package'

Iran to offer West 'new package'

Iran's government says it is preparing a new package of proposals to put to the West.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said it would concern "political, security and international issues".

He was speaking in Tehran hours after G8 leaders said they were appalled at Iran's disputed presidential election.

US President Barack Obama said global leaders were also "deeply troubled" by Iran's nuclear programme. Iran denies it is trying to build a nuclear bomb.

Mr Mottaki played down international concerns, saying there had been "no new message from the G8".

"We are going to present our package which will be a basis to negotiate all regional and international issues," he told a news conference in Tehran, without giving further details.

"The package can be a good basis for talks with the West."

The US has threatened tough sanctions if Iran rejects offers of engagement over its nuclear programme.

Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but has been accused by Western countries of seeking nuclear weapons.

 

[I-G]

Bomb goes off in south Yemen; another defused

Bomb goes off in south Yemen; another defused
Agencies
Published: August 05, 2009, 14:22


Sanaa: A bomb exploded near a police building in south Yemen, authorities said, and security forces defused a bigger device set to go off outside a government office in the region, where secessionist feeling runs high.

A blast blew a hole in a fence outside a criminal investigation department building in Abyan province but caused no injuries, the website of the ruling party quoted security sources as saying.

A larger device, made of a mine attached to a timer, was defused after being planted and set to explode near the fence of the offices of a government watchdog in Abyan.

"Official sources said ... outlaws were behind the two terrorist acts aimed at shaking security and stability in Abyan province," it said.

"The suspects will be tracked down and arrested to be punished through the courts."


Gunmen killed four soldiers and wounded another last week in an ambush in Abyan, east of Aden - the capital of the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen which merged with its northern neighbour in 1990.

In July, at least another eight people were killed in clashes between security forces and armed men at an opposition gathering in Abyan to demand the release of detainees held during recent disturbances.

People in the south, home to most of Yemen's oil facilities, have long complained that northerners abuse the unity agreement to grab their resources and discriminate against them.

Yemen, one of the poorest countries outside Africa, has been battling a wave of al Qaeda attacks over the past two years and a Shi'ite rebellion in its north, as well as an increasingly restive south.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has said it fears instability in Yemen could allow it to become a launchpad for a revival of a 2003-2006 campaign by Al Qaida militants to destabilise the US-allied ruling Al Saud family.

President Al Abdullah Saleh took power in the former North Yemen in 1978 and has been president of the new republic since 1990. He won another seven-year term in 2006.

Gulfnews: Bomb goes off in south Yemen; another defused

 

[I-G]

Saudi courts to begin trial of terror suspects

Saudi courts to begin trial of terror suspects
Ghazanfar Ali Khan | Arab News

RIYADH: A number of terror suspects including three men whose names figured on the list of 85 suspects released by the Ministry of Interior will soon go on trial in Saudi courts.

“These militants, including the three who surrendered themselves before Saudi police recently under pressure from family and friends, are behind bars for plotting attacks against the Kingdom from abroad,” Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said on Wednesday.

“Everybody will be tried in a fair manner,” said Al-Turki, referring to those who are currently in detention facing terrorism charges. Al-Turki declined to say how many of these suspects are currently in Saudi jails.

The spokesman said that all the cases involving suspected militants arrested for plotting attacks would be transferred to Shariah courts. This would be the second mass trial of Saudi suspects since judgment was handed down on July 8 against 330 terror suspects indicted in 179 terror-related cases.

Al-Turki said that the Kingdom’s security agencies in cooperation with other major international organizations including Interpol have been trying to track down 82 most wanted suspects. Interpol issued on Feb. 10 an international alert for the 85 most wanted terrorism suspects, a majority of them Saudis. According to Interpol, 80 Saudis and two Yemenis are still wanted by the Kingdom on terror-related charges, including links to Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Al-Turki said the Ministry of Interior has sought Interpol’s assistance because its global police network and tools provided essential elements for locating and detaining fugitives for their eventual extradition to Saudi Arabia. He also urged the suspects to turn themselves in.

Asked about the nature of the case against Suliman Hamad Sueiman Al-Buthe, an aid worker who may be associated with Al-Haramain Foundation and whose name figured on Interpol’s wanted list, the spokesman said: “I will check whether Suliman is the same man, who was associated with Al-Haramain and who works in Riyadh now.” Interpol wants Al-Buthe, a Saudi national, as per the provisions of a UN Security Council resolution. A short profile of Al-Buthe and his photo is on the Interpol website.

Saudi courts to begin trial of terror suspects

 

[RPK]

Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline to be ready by 2013: Report - Pakistan - World - NEWS - The Times of India

ISLAMABAD: The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, which could be extended to India, will be operationalised by 2013, officials of the two countries decided
at a meeting in Islamabad.

Quoting officials of the petroleum ministry, Online news agency reported that the feasibility report of project and other technical matters were discussed during the meeting on Monday.

During the talks, the Pakistani delegation was the view that completion of the project within the quickest possible time was very important for this country as the gas supplied from Iran would help to meet the country's requirement of energy during the next four years.

Iran is keen on India coming on board the project but New Delhi has concern on issues relating to security, cost and pricing.

The security concerns arise as the pipeline will be passing through Pakistan's volatile Balochistan province.

This apart, India is not agreeing to bearing the bulk of the pipeline's cost, as is being demanded, since Pakistan too would be a major beneficiary of the project.

As for pricing, India says this should be done in a transparent manner.

Everything else apart, New Delhi says that if it becomes a part of the project, it wants the gas to be delivered at the India-Pakistan border so that the pipeline ends there

 

[WaleedGilani]

Ahmednijad might be a holocaust denier, but after reading the above articles, can you state that he uttered those words in the speech? I just want to know if the facts stated in the article are "fact based" or Not.

lol....buddy i have a video where ahmedinijjad is shouting in a speech"death to israel death to israel"

 

[ahmedsid]

lol....buddy i have a video where ahmedinijjad is shouting in a speech"death to israel death to israel"

lol He is a crackpot, he says that death to israel thing a lot in open stadiums/grounds to thundering applauses, But in an interview I saw, he never said that He denies the holocaust, he was saying that the numbers are exaggerated, Just like the Pakistanis say about the massacre in East Pakistan!!!

I was jus saying that Ahmednijad didnt start off denying the holocaust at that point of time, now he may deny it, but the media got hyper over it!

 

[RPK]

The Associated Press: 6 nations meet on Iran's nuclear program

FRANKFURT — Six countries trying to address concerns about Iran's nuclear program met Wednesday to review developments, and officials urged Iran to agree to talks before the U.N. General Assembly meets later this month.

The meeting took place near Frankfurt and involved political directors — Foreign Ministry officials below ministerial level — from the U.S., France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany.

It was scheduled before Iran's main nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, told reporters on Tuesday that his nation would present new proposals and would open talks "in order to ease common concerns in the international arena." Jalili gave no details.

"We took note of the fact that Dr. Jalili has made a statement ... offering talks," the German political director, Volker Stanzel, said after Wednesday's meeting in remarks carried by RTL television.

"And I expect him to accept our offer to talk, to go into a dialogue on a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear question, before the United Nations General Assembly Week at the end of September."

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said that the six nations had "a constructive meeting and most of the focus was on ways to get Iran back to the table."

He echoed Stanzel's position on Jalili's statement, saying the countries "stressed that Iran should respond to the offer ... by agreeing to meet before the U.N. General Assembly meeting."

Earlier Wednesday, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner acknowledged media reports of Jalili's statement, but said such offers must be formally presented to the governments involved before they could be considered.

"So far we have not received any such communication from the Iranian government through official channels," Ploetner told reporters in Berlin. "Consequently ... from our point of view nothing has changed."

"We hope that the press reports will be followed by something of substance at an official level."

Western nations and others worry Iran is moving toward development of nuclear warheads. But Iranian leaders say the country only seeks reactors to produce electricity.

The six countries plan to meet again on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York later this month to review developments.

That would dovetail with U.S. President Barack Obama's deadline for Iran to agree to nuclear talks or risk harsher sanctions. Last year, Tehran was offered economic incentives in exchange for suspending uranium enrichment, but Iran's leaders responded by saying they would never give up control of the production of nuclear fuel.

In its latest report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it has pressed Iran to clarify the purpose of its uranium enrichment activities and reassure the world that it's not trying to build an atomic weapon.

The agency acknowledged, however, that Iran has been producing nuclear fuel at a slower rate and has allowed U.N. inspectors broader access to its main nuclear complex in the southern city of Natanz and to a reactor in Arak.

Stanzel noted that the U.N. Security Council has repeatedly said that "Iran is obliged to reply to all the open questions and doubts about its program."

 

[Pintu]

U.S. accepts Iran's offer of talks with major powers | Reuters

U.S. accepts Iran's offer of talks with major powers
Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:48pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it would accept Iran's offer of wide-ranging talks with major powers despite the Islamic Republic's stated refusal to discuss its nuclear program.

"We will seek an early meeting and we will seek to test Iran's willingness to engage," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana issued a statement in Brussels saying he was seeking an urgent meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, to try to resolve Western concerns about Iran's nuclear program.

The U.S. State Department made clear that Solana wanted to arrange a meeting between Iran and senior officials from the six major powers that have been seeking to resolve the nuclear dispute with Tehran.

The United States and its allies suspect Iran's uranium enrichment program is a cover for developing nuclear weapons. Iran denies this, saying that the program is solely intended to produce electricity.

The major powers, which include permanent U.N. Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States as well as Germany, offered Iran trade and diplomatic incentives in 2006 in exchange for halt to uranium enrichment.

They improved the offer last year but retained the demand that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, something Tehran has ruled out as a precondition.

Iran on Wednesday handed over a five-page proposal that offered wide-ranging talks with the West but was silent on its nuclear program.

U.S. President Barack Obama came into office pledging a policy of engagement toward Iran and the State Department said it wanted the so-called P5+1 nations to meet Iranian officials now to see if they were willing to talk substantively.

"We seek direct negotiations. We want to see Iran sit down face to face with the P-5+1 countries and address all of the issues that we have concern about, including the nuclear issue," Crowley said. "If we have a meeting, we're going to bring up the nuclear issue, and we'll see how Iran responds to that."

Obama has suggested Iran may face harsher international sanctions, possibly targeting its imports of gasoline, if it does not accept good-faith talks by the end of September.

But Russia, which has veto power in the U.N. Security Council, on Thursday all but ruled out oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran, the world's fifth-biggest crude producer, is seen as vulnerable to oil sanctions because it imports 40 percent of its gasoline to supply the cheap fuel that Iranians see as their birthright.

Diplomats acknowledge that there is little chance of the Security Council imposing sanctions on Iran's gasoline imports anytime soon, but they say it could tighten other sanctions. Individual countries could also enact sanctions on their own.

"We're going to assess where we are during the course of this month," Crowley said. "Then at the end of the year, we'll be able to draw some conclusions as to how successful our engagement offer has been." (Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

 

[Pintu]

The Associated Press: US, partner nations accept Iran's offer for talks

US, partner nations accept Iran's offer for talks

By ROBERT BURNS (AP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — Despite Tehran's insistence it will not negotiate its disputed nuclear program, the Obama administration says it and five partner nations have accepted Iran's offer to hold talks.

"We are seeking a meeting now based on the Iranian paper to see what Iran is prepared to do," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "And then, as the president has said, you know, if Iran responds to our interest in a meeting, we'll see when that can occur. We hope that will occur as soon as possible."

Crowley told reporters Friday that although Iran's proposal for international talks presented on Wednesday was disappointing for sidestepping the nuclear issue, it represented a chance to begin a direct dialogue.

Such a meeting could lessen immediate pressure on President Barack Obama to abandon his diplomatic outreach to Tehran, which has yet to yield concrete results. Obama said in July that Iran should show a willingness to negotiate limits on its nuclear program by September or face consequences.

Crowley stressed that the U.S. and its negotiating partners agree they must keep pressure on Iran while also seeking talks.

"Now we are willing to meet with Iran. We hope to meet with Iran," Crowley said. "We want to see serious engagement on the nuclear issue, in particular."

He added, "We are willing to address any other issues that they want to bring to the table. But, clearly, if Iran refuses to negotiate seriously, we — the United States and the international community and the Security Council — can draw conclusions from that. And then based on that, we'll make some judgments in the future."

In its proposal, Iran ignored a demand by the six world powers — the U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany — for a freeze of its uranium enrichment, which is suspected of leading to production of a nuclear weapon. Iran insists that its nuclear work is strictly for peaceful nonmilitary purposes.

Iran pronounced itself ready to "embark on comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive negotiations."

On Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country will neither halt uranium enrichment nor negotiate over its nuclear rights but is ready to sit and talk with world powers over "global challenges."

Crowley said Iran's lack of interest in addressing its nuclear program is not a reason to refuse to talk.

"If we have talks, we will plan to bring up the nuclear issue," he said.

The decision to take up Iran's offer was communicated publicly Friday in Brussels, Belgium, by Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief who is an intermediary for the six powers. They represent the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.

Crowley said there is no assumption that new talks with Iran will be productive. But the proposal made Wednesday by the Iranian government indicated at least a new willingness to engage diplomatically, he said.

"There's language in the letter that simply says the government of Iran is willing to enter into dialogue," the spokesman said. "We are going to test that proposition, OK? And if Iran is willing to enter into serious negotiations, then they will find a willing participant in the United States and the other (partner) countries.

"If Iran dissembles in the future, as it has in the past, then we will draw conclusions from that," he said.

The Obama administration has expressed interest in discussing numerous other issues with Iran, including cooperation in stabilizing two Iranian neighbors — Afghanistan and Iraq — as well as alleged Iranian support for terrorist groups.

 

[Pintu]

Iran signals no compromise on nuclear issue | World | Reuters

Iran signals no compromise on nuclear issue
Sat Sep 12, 2009 3:52pm IST

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister said on Saturday the country would not back down in its nuclear dispute with the West and that he believed Tehran's proposals to world powers could pave the way for negotiations.

"We cannot have any compromise with respect to the Iranian nation's inalienable right," Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference, in comments translated by English-language Press TV.

The United States said on Friday it would accept Iran's offer of wide-ranging talks with six major powers despite its stated refusal to discuss nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making bombs. Iran denies the charge.

Also on Friday, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he was seeking an urgent meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, to try to resolve Western concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran on Wednesday handed over a five-page proposal that offered wide-ranging talks on international and regional issues with the West but was silent on its nuclear programme.

"Offering such a package of proposals is indicative of the Islamic Republic of Iran's firm resolve for addressing issues that have also been mentioned within the package," Mottaki said.

Referring to the statements from major powers, he said, "one would just reach the conclusion that they have all admitted the existence of major topics and issues for holding constructive negotiations and this can be the basis for negotiations."

"FAILED" SANCTIONS POLICY

The United States and its allies suspect Iran's uranium enrichment activity is a cover for developing nuclear weapons. Iran says it is solely intended to produce electricity.

The major powers, which include permanent U.N. Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States as well as Germany, offered Iran trade and diplomatic incentives in 2006 in exchange for halt to uranium enrichment.

They improved the offer last year but retained the demand that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, something the Islamic Republic has ruled out as a precondition.

U.S. President Barack Obama came into office pledging a policy of engagement toward Iran and the State Department said it wanted the six powers to meet Iranian officials now to see if they were willing to talk substantively.

Obama has suggested Iran may face harsher international sanctions, possibly targeting its imports of gasoline, if it does not accept good-faith talks by the end of September.

But Russia, which has veto power in the U.N. Security Council, on Thursday all but ruled out oil sanctions on Iran.

Iran, the world's fifth-biggest crude producer, is seen as vulnerable to oil sanctions because it imports 40 percent of its gasoline due to lack of sufficent domestic refining capacity.

Mottaki said Western powers had experienced four years of "failed policy of imposing sanctions" on Iran, referring to three rounds of punitive U.N. measures since 2006.

 

[Pintu]

The Associated Press: Iran FM says nuclear talks with West are possible

Iran FM says nuclear talks with West are possible

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI (AP) – 45 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's foreign minister said Saturday that talks with world powers on his country's nuclear program were a "possibility" — an apparent step up from Tehran's offer this week to discuss only "global challenges" with the West.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said he welcomed talks with the U.S. and its partners, adding that "should conditions be ripe, there is a possibility of talks about the nuclear issue."

The remarks came on the heel's of a decision by the United States and partner nations to accept Iran's proposal for talks — even though Tehran had said the nuclear issue was not on the table — and indicated Iran's eagerness for a direct dialogue.

Iran on Wednesday presented the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the U.S., Russia, France, Britain and China — plus Germany with a proposal to hold "comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive" talks on a range of security issues, including global nuclear disarmament.

The five-page document made no mention of Tehran's suspected nuclear program, which the West fears masks a nuclear arms pursuit but which Tehran asserts is only for electricity production.

It also ignored binding U.N. Security Council resolutions that require Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment, which is a possible pathway to nuclear weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that Tehran will neither halt uranium enrichment nor negotiate over its nuclear rights. But Mottaki's comments to reporters on Saturday appeared to soften that stance, indicating Iran's nuclear program was not off limits.

"Should the conditions be ripe, there is a possibility of talks about the nuclear issue with the West, given the new package we have presented," Mottaki was quoted as saying on state television.

U.S. officials say Iran is close to having the capabilities to produce a nuclear weapon should it make a political decision to do so.

They say the latest report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency shows that Tehran is either very near or already in possession of sufficient low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon, if the decision were made to further enrich it to weapons-grade.

The International Atomic Energy Agency describes in its latest report how Iran now has, at a minimum, 1,430 kilograms (3,153 pounds) of low-enriched uranium hexafluoride.

Iran insists its program is peaceful but the West worries it is covertly trying to build a bomb.

President Barack Obama and European allies have given Iran until the end of September to take up an offer of nuclear talks with six world powers and trade incentives should it suspend uranium enrichment activities. If not, Iran could face harsher punitive sanctions.

Iran already has defied three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions since 2006 for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Friday that although Iran's proposal had sidestepped the nuclear issue, it represented a chance for a dialogue.

The decision to take up Iran's offer was communicated publicly Friday in Brussels, Belgium, by Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief who is an intermediary for the six powers.

Crowley said there is no assumption that new talks with Iran will be productive.

The Obama administration has expressed interest in discussing numerous other issues with Iran, including cooperation in stabilizing two Iranian neighbors — Afghanistan and Iraq — as well as alleged Iranian support for terrorist groups.

 

[Pintu]

AFP: Iran ready to negotiate nuclear proposals: Mottaki

Iran ready to negotiate nuclear proposals: Mottaki

By Jay Deshmukh (AFP) – 4 hours ago

TEHRAN — Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Saturday renewed Tehran's readiness for negotiations over its nuclear proposals but made no direct response to calls from the major powers for urgent talks.

"By giving this package, the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown its determination to enter into negotiation on the main topics in the package," Mottaki told reporters in Tehran.

"I think that if one takes into account separate statements made by these powers, they acknowledge that our package has major topics for holding constructive negotiations," he said.

"This can be the basis of negotiations... we hope that they (the six world powers) address our package seriously, deeply and analytically."

Iran handed over its new proposals for allaying Western concerns over its nuclear programme on Wednesday.

A US non-profit investigative journalism group, Pro Publica, said Thursday it obtained a copy of proposals in which Tehran said it was prepared to hold "comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive negotiations."

The talks would address nuclear disarmament as well as a global framework for the use of "clean nuclear energy," according to the document published on Pro Publica's website, but it did not address Iran's own nuclear programme.

Washington has already expressed disappointment with the package. "It is not really responsive to our greatest concern," assistant secretary of state for public affairs, Philip Crowley, told reporters on Thursday.

But Moscow has been more upbeat. "There is something to dig into," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

The six powers -- Britain, China, France and Germany as well as Russia and the United States -- have since called for urgent talks with Iran on the proposals.

"We will seek an early meeting, and we will seek to test Iran's willingness to engage," Crowley said in Washington.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who regularly represents the powers in talks with Tehran, said he was in contact with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in a bid to arrange a meeting at the "earliest possible opportunity."

Mottaki gave no direct response to the call for urgent talks.

"We have handed over the package and, if the conditions are ready, negotiations can start," he said without elaborating on what conditions were necessary.

World powers have given a late September deadline to Tehran for starting talks with them in a bid to halt Iran's sensitive uranium enrichment, the process which produces nuclear fuel or, in highly extended form, the fissile core of an atomic bomb.

They have warned that if Tehran fails to talk it could face more sanctions.

Mottaki dismissed the threat of sanctions.

"The West has four years of failed experience when it comes to sanctions against Iran," he said.

The UN Security Council has adopted three sets of sanctions against Iran over its failure to heed the repeated ultimatums to suspend uranium enrichment.

But on Friday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted once again that the regime would not bow to international pressure.

Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi meanwhile renewed Iran's insistence that its nuclear programme is purely civilian and that it has no ambitions to develop an atomic bomb.

"We regard production of weapons of mass destruction as contrary to our religious, human and national principles," the Fars news agency quoted Vahidi as saying.

"Manufacturing nuclear weapons is not, and has never been, on our agenda."

 

[Pintu]

The Associated Press: Iran FM says nuclear talks with West are possible

Iran FM says nuclear talks with West are possible

(AP) – 4 hours ago

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's foreign minister says talks with world powers on his country's nuclear program are a "possibility," in the light of recent offers of discussions from Tehran on "global challenges".

Manouchehr Mottaki says he welcomes talks with the West and that "should conditions be ripe, there is the possibility of talks about the nuclear issue."

Mottaki's remarks on Saturday followed the decision by the United States and its partner nations to accept Iran's offer to hold talks, even though Tehran initially said the nuclear issue was not on the table.

The remarks appear to be a step up from Iran's proposal on Wednesday for international talks and indicate Iran's eagerness to begin a direct dialogue.

 

[Pintu]

Turkey wants to host Iran, West nuclear talks

Turkey wants to host Iran, West nuclear talks
Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:53:43 GMT

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says his country
is ready to host talks between Iran and world powers over
the nuclear issue.

After major world powers called for a meeting with Iran to resolve the country's nuclear case, Turkey says it is ready to host the talks.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who was wrapping up a two-day visit to Tehran, said Sunday that talks between the sides should start as soon as possible.

Iran's new package of proposals included appropriate grounds for holding talks on leading international issues, Davutoglu said in a meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili.

The international calls for new rounds of nuclear negotiations came after a telephone conference between five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US -- plus Germany on Friday following the presentation of Iran's package on Wednesday.

Today, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed readiness to negotiate on a wide range of global issues but reiterated that Tehran will not hold talks on its "inalienable [nuclear] rights."

"We are ready to hold talks on international cooperation and ways to resolve ongoing economic and security problems in the world as we believe that such issues cannot be settled without collective participation," Ahmadinejad said.

Iran faces pressure to halt its nuclear enrichment, as world powers believe its program is aimed at building a nuclear bomb. Tehran, however, denies the allegations and has called for the removal of weapons of mass destruction across the globe.

SF/MD

 

[Pintu]

AFP: Iran says 'new framework of cooperation' agreed with IAEA

Iran says 'new framework of cooperation' agreed with IAEA

(AFP) – 1 day ago

VIENNA — Iran has agreed new terms of cooperation with the UN atomic watchdog regarding the agency's investigation into Tehran's nuclear activities, a top Iranian official said here Tuesday.

But the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, declined to say what the new cooperation would entail.

A source close to the International Atomic Energy Agency told AFP that nothing substantially new had been agreed between the two sides.

"Nothing new has been agreed," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Salehi said: "We managed to come to an agreement to set a new framework for deeper cooperation for the future."

When pressed on what form that new cooperation would take, Salehi refused to elaborate.

"Details will be revealed at the proper time. We hope we will be witnessing in the future improved cooperation. We think the international environment is also very conducive vis-a-vis this issue," Salehi said.

The IAEA itself refused to comment on Salehi's remarks, following the talks with agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

A report by Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Salehi as saying he also met newly appointed IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, whom he invited to visit Iran "at the first opportunity... so he can witness our nuclear activities close-up and Amano accepted."

"We had good negotiations... We asked (him) to look at all nations equally, meaning not to incline towards this or that nation and to follow his work independently," Salehi was quoted as saying.

Amano, of Japan, takes over as director general on December 1.

Salehi's comments came a day after Iran agreed to meet six world powers to talk next month in what could be a potential thaw in relations with the international community over the Tehran's controversial nuclear activities.

Salehi said the cooperation would not cover allegations that Iran conducted studies in the past into weaponisation, currently the main obstacle to resolving the IAEA's six-year Iranian investigation.

The watchdog insists that Tehran must respond to the allegations in order to ascertain the true nature of the activities.

But Iran has dismissed the allegations as "baseless" and "fabricated", but done nothing so far to disprove them.

"The alleged studies is from our point of view a dead issue. This is just like a movie which is very consistent and comprehensive but at the end it is a fiction," Salehi said.

The IAEA has also repeatedly demanded that Iran provide more information about its heavy water reactor at Arak and apply the so-called "additional protocol" giving the agency enhanced inspection powers.

But Salehi said Iran had already done this in the past and "been adversely rewarded".

Thus, "the ball is the court of the others, and they have to win the trust of our people and the trust of our government," he said.

Asked whether the new cooperation might also entail giving UN inspectors increased access to the reactor in Arak and the enrichment plant in Natanz, Salehi was similarly evasive.

"We have already shown our forthcoming in this regard," he said. "The new cooperation will be evolved in the future."

 

[Pintu]

The Associated Press: Clinton warns Iran over nuclear program

Clinton warns Iran over nuclear program

By MATTHEW LEE (AP) – 7 hours ago

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that Iran's refusal to prove that its nuclear intentions are peaceful has "profound consequences" for world security.

Clinton said the Obama administration's offer to engage with Iran remains on the table, but Tehran faces new penalties and greater isolation unless it complies with demands that it be forthcoming about its plans.

She also said that time is running out for the country to show it is serious about addressing concerns about its nuclear program and that the matter would be a top priority at next week's United Nations General Assembly session.

"Iran's continued failure to live up to its obligations carries profound consequences for the security of the United States and our allies," Clinton said in a speech at the Brookings Institution that previewed the administration's agenda for the U.N. meeting. "Our concern is not Iran's right to develop peaceful nuclear energy, but its responsibility to demonstrate that its program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes."

At the United Nations, Clinton will meet with her counterparts from the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — Britain, China, France and Russia — along with Germany — to plot a way forward on Iran. The six nations have offered Iran incentives to halt activities that could lead to development of atomic weapons.

"Our message will be clear: we are serious and we will soon see if the Iranians are serious," Clinton said, adding that the U.S. will work with its partners to keep up the pressure on Iran.

Iran, which insists its nuclear program is peaceful, has yet to accept the package of incentives despite warnings that its refusal to do so will lead to another round of U.N. sanctions. Iran is already under three sets of Security Council sanctions.

The meeting at the U.N. is set for next Wednesday. Shortly afterward, on Oct. 1, top diplomats from the six countries will meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator to gauge the country's response.

The flurry of activity comes after the release of a new report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog that said Iran has still not addressed questions about the nature of its program and the revelation that experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency believe it has the ability to make a nuclear bomb and is working on developing a missile system to deliver it.

U.S. officials have long made that claim but it has not neccessarily been shared by others, including China and Russia, which have balked at imposing new sanctions on Iran.

Even with the new nuclear findings, a fierce Iranian government crackdown on the opposition after elections and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's latest questioning of the Holocaust and lashing out at Israel on Friday, Clinton said the administration offer of engagement still stood.

 

[Pintu]

Can we expect a statement from IAEA at this juncture:

Iran has expertise to build nuclear bomb, says UN report - Telegraph

Iran has expertise to build nuclear bomb, says UN report

By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor
Published: 5:02PM BST 18 Sep 2009

Iran's scientists have cracked the problem of building a nuclear bomb and studied how to deploy atomic warheads on missiles, according to a confidential United Nations report.

It finds that Iran's scientists already have the expertise to build a crude atomic bomb, known as an "implosion nuclear device". The report also says Iran has "sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable implosion nuclear device based on highly enriched uranium as the fission fuel".

At present, however, Iran could not build such a bomb because it does not possess uranium enriched to weapons grade level. Its experts are, however, enriching uranium inside an underground plant in Natanz. So far, they have only produced material of the purity needed to run civil nuclear power stations. Given time, however, they could produce highly enriched uranium required for a bomb.

The document, prepared by experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency, had not been disclosed to the 35 countries on the organisation's board. The internal report summarises everything the IAEA knows about the "possible military dimension of Iran's nuclear programme".

The IAEA report also finds that Iranian scientists have studied how to build a nuclear warhead capable of delivery on a missile. They tried to modify a missile so that it could carry a warhead that is "quite likely to be nuclear". They also tested the system of explosives used to detonate a nuclear warhead.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has always publicly denied any ambition to build a weapon. But the IAEA report says that he wanted to acquire nuclear weapons as long ago as 1984, when he served as president. He allegedly told a meeting of senior officials that a "nuclear arsenal would serve Iran as a deterrent in the hands of God's soldiers".

The disclosure came as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once again rejected any compromise over Iran's nuclear programme. He told NBC that Iran would "never" obey five UN Resolutions and stop enriching uranium. This process was "for peaceful purposes" and Iran had "no need" for nuclear weapons, added Mr Ahmadinejad.

Later, the president addressed a rally to mark "Jerusalem Day", Iran's annual day of solidarity with the Palestinian people. He again described the Holocaust as a "lie" and said that Western governments had used this invention to justify the creation of Israel.

But thousands of opposition demonstrators, who accuse the president of stealing victory in June's election by rigging the poll, massed in Tehran, chanting "death to the dictator". This display of popular fury against Mr Ahmadinejad, the first for two months, showed his failure to overcome the bitter legacy of his disputed re-election.

Mohammed Khatami, a former president, joined the opposition rally, but was pushed to the ground by hardliners and compelled to leave. Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who ran against Mr Ahmadinejad in the election, tried to attend the demonstration, but was forced to withdraw when hardliners surrounded his car.

Regards

 

[Pintu]

Clinton says Iran faces nuclear choice | Politics | Reuters

Clinton says Iran faces nuclear choice
Fri Sep 18, 2009 2:33pm EDT

By Andrew Quinn

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran should use next month's talks with major powers to ease fears over its nuclear program or risk greater isolation and economic pressure, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday.

"We are serious and we will soon see if the Iranians are serious," Clinton said in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

"We have made clear our desire to resolve issues with Iran diplomatically. Iran must now decide whether to join us in this effort," Clinton said, adding that there could be profound consequences for failure to act.

"There will be accompanying costs for Iran's continued defiance: more isolation and economic pressure, less possibility of progress for the people of Iran," Clinton said.

The United States has agreed to take part in talks on October 1 between Iran and the so-called "P5+1," which includes the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and Germany.

The meeting is seen as a move toward President Barack Obama's pledge during last year's U.S. presidential campaign to try to improve relations with Iran through more direct contacts. The two countries have not had diplomatic ties since 1980.

Clinton repeated the U.S. position that the talks must address Iran's uranium enrichment program, which Tehran says is geared toward energy production but which some global powers fear is a cover for developing nuclear weapons.

Iran repeatedly has said that it will not use the October talks to bargain over its nuclear capabilities.

Clinton said the face-to-face meeting between U.S. and Iranian negotiators would provide a chance to assess Tehran's attitude, but that Washington was "not in this just for the sake of talking."

'GROWING CONCERNS'

"We remain ready to engage with Iran, not as an end in itself, but as a means of addressing the growing concerns that we and our partners have about Iran's actions, especially on the nuclear issue," she said.

Former U.S. President George W. Bush resisted direct talks with Iran over the nuclear issue and relented only in July 2008 when he sent a senior diplomat to join the major powers in a meeting with Iranian officials in Geneva.

Clinton suggested this policy was a failure.

"For many years we outsourced our policy and concerns about the nuclear program to others," Clinton said.

"We were on the sidelines. We were pacing up and down the sidelines extremely agitated and we were ... trying to figure out how to get other people to go on the field and deal with this problem and look where we are today. We are, you know, really nowhere," she added with a laugh.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday further alienated the United States and other Western nations by calling the Holocaust "a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim."

Ahmadinejad's comments came a day after Obama scrapped a Bush-era missile defense plan for Europe in favor of a new strategy to defend against Iran's short- and medium-range missiles.

The United States and its European allies have floated the idea of putting sanctions on Iran's fuel imports if it fails to enter talks on its nuclear program. While Iran is the world's fifth-largest crude exporter, it still imports up to 40 percent of its gasoline supplies as it lacks refining capacity.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on Friday that the "P5+1" group would meet at the ministerial level on the sidelines of next week's U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York -- which will also hear speeches from both Obama and Ahmadinejad.

Clinton said Washington still hoped for movement on Iran's nuclear program by the end of the year.

"We're going to move forward, see what -- if any -- changes in approach, attitude, actions the Iranians are willing to entertain and continue to work with our allies ... on the consequence side of the ledger," she said.

(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Will Dunham)