Tag Archives: Iran

The government will allow for greater IAEA monitoring of the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. President Ahmadinejad appointed a terror suspect to head the defense ministry. Iran launched its first domestically built container ship in the Persian Gulf.

President Ahmadinejad revealed 11 new cabinet appointees; the Majlis is expected to reject the nominations. The Iranian oil ministry supports the controversial new minister appointee.

President Ahmadinejad is expected to appoint a novice to head the oil ministry. Major GeneralJafari called on the army and Basij to use soft power to oppose threats to the governemnt. Syrian President Bashar Assad visited Tehran. Russia is said to reconsider the sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Iran due to Israeli concerns.

A top nuclear official denied stating that Tehran was ready to hold talks with the West on its atomic program “without preconditions.” President Ahmadinejad planned to reveal cabinet appointees to the public on Wednesday. Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari announced that the country has discovered a giant oil field with in-place reserves of over […]

A group of anonymous clerics labeled Ayatollah Khamenei a “dictator” and called for his removal. Sadegh Larijani was appointed new chief of the judiciary. The government released a female French lecturer on bail who was accused of espionage. Bahrain’s Minister of Oil and Gas urged further expansion of business ties between Tehran and Manama.

Ayatollah Khatami called for the indictment of Karroubi for libel against the government. Khatami also called for resistance against European-like reform to clerical leadership. Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan said the Iranian army is capable of producing stealth weapons.

Iran’s envoy to the IAEA asked the UN to hold a conference of 150 countries to vote on a proposal which bans attacks on nuclear installations. Foreign Minister Mottaki warned against an expanded U.S. military presence in Latin America. Former presidential candidate Karroubi urged investigation into prison rape allegations.

The Justice Ministry admitted more than 4,000 people were detained during post-election protests; more than 3,700 have been freed, including a French embassy worker. The opposition claims 69 people were killed by security forces during protests. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated President Ahmadinejad for his re-election victory.

President Ahmadinejad purged four senior members of the Intelligence Ministry after some officials refused to back the government’s claim that the post-election protests were designed to overthrow the government. The officials also reportedly were opposed to airing confessions of protesters on TV. The former chief of the Intelligence Ministry was fired on July 26.

Yadollah Javani, the chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ political bureau, has called for a trial of political leaders opposed to Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s presidency. Mohammad Khatami, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mehdi Karroubi top Javani’s list. “If they are the main agents, which is the case, judiciary and security officials should go after them, arrest […]

Basiji militiamen cracked down on street protests as President Ahmedinejad was sworn in to his second term. An aide to presidential candidate Mousavi was arrested. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said it was not the Obama administration’s place to “pass judgment on” the legitimacy of the Ahmedinejad regime. Iran’s foreign ministry could neither confirm nor […]

The spokesman for President Obama has said that President Ahmedinejad is the legitimately elected leader of Iran. “He’s the elected leader,” Press Secretary Gibbs said at a briefing at the White House. The three Americans who wandered into Iran from northern Iraq are suspected of being “spies” by the Iranian government.