Tag Archives: Iran

Amnesty International said Iran had escalated a crackdown on dissent in the run-up to this week’s election for parliament. Among those arrested are journalists, political activists and their relatives, religious and ethnic minorities, filmmakers, and people with connections to international media.

The IAEA said Iran was rapidly expanding its production of enriched uranium. Some US and European officials discounted reports that Iran and al Qaeda have stepped up cooperation.

After two days of talks, the IAEA failed to reach an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said his country’s nuclear policies would not change. Russia warned that a strike against Iran could have “catastrophic” consequences.

A military official said Iran would take preemptive action if its national interests were threatened. India and China said they would cut oil imports from Iran. Combined, India and China buy 45% of Iranian oil exports. Japan was also near a deal to cut oil imports.

Iran announced military exercises to protect its nuclear sites. UN nuclear inspectors arrived for further talks.