Tag Archives: Iran

Iran urged China to resist Western pressure to impose additional sanctions. President Ahmadinejad made plans to visit Afghanistan. Speaker Larijani criticized US General Petraeus for calling Iran a “thugocracy.”

Vitol, Glencore, and Trafigura agreed to stop supplying refined petroleum products to Iran. China signed a deal with Iran that allows it to drill in the Persian Gulf. The US Treasury Department will allow the export of Internet communications services to Iran.

The US has paid $107 billion to US and foreign companies that have done business in Iran in violation of international sanctions. China said new sanctions “are not the fundamental way to resolve the Iran nuclear problem.” Iran opened the production line for the Nasr 1 anti-ship missile.

President Ahmedinejad said the Sept. 11 attacks on the US were a “big fabrication” designed to allow the US to wage the war on terror. Iran warned it would retaliate for Italy’s detention of an Iranian journalist, who is accused of participating in an arms smuggling ring.

President Ahmadinejad said Iran has no use for nuclear weapons and that Iran’s “bombs” are its youths and “athletic heroes.” Iran criticized the US on new sanctions. Iran’s IAEA Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh said the IAEA’s most recent report has “reopened already closed issues.”

The UN human rights chief criticized Iran for its human rights record after the June 12, 2009, election. Tehran has been accused of exercising influence in Iraq’s federal elections. China, Turkey, and Brazil are urging the US to slow down on the new sanctions regimen.

The UN Security Council is ready to tackle a new sanctions regimen for Iran. Tehran is placing more pressure on opposition media outlets and intellectuals. Italian authorities arrested Iranian arms smugglers.

The West gained momentum from the IAEA for new sanctions on Iran. Russia may back new sanctions. The Iranian Air Force prepared to test-fire the new Qassed 2, a laser-guided bomb.

The IAEA director said Iran is “not cooperating” with their investigation. Japan offered to send Iran 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel. The government released three journalists and three opposition members.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed that the IAEA “lacks independence” and its decisions “should not be influenced by the US and some (other) countries.” A top commander in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said “Europe will spend the winter in the chill” if Iran chooses.

Iran is ruled by a “cult,” opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi said. “This is the rule of a cult that has hijacked the concept of Iranianism and nationalism,” he said in an interview on his website. Iranian intelligence broke up a Wahabi terrorist group in the province of West Azarbaijan. Jundallah has named Muhammad Dhahir […]

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed cooperation with opposition groups. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met with President Ahmadinejad in Syria. Jundallah leader Rigi claimed that US offered him military aid to work with the West.

Tehran said the IAEA’s new report on Iran’s nuclear program is misleading and biased. A senior Russian diplomat warned the West not to enact paralyzing sanctions against Iran’s energy and banking sectors. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak pushed for “severe sanctions” on Iran, during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Tehran again proposed a simultaneous swap of its uranium for prepared uranium rods to be used at its research reactor. This deal has already been rejected by the West. Iran denounced the assassination of a Hamas leader in Dubai.

Security forces detained Jundallah founder and leader Abdul Malik Rigi. Tehran announced plans to construct 10 new enrichment facilities this year. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak left for the United States to discuss Iranian nuclear proliferation efforts.