Islamic Republic of Iran

Iran plans to hold air defense manoeuvers involving both its elite Revolutionary Guards and the regular armed forces, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. It said the war games would be staged during the Iranian week that started on Saturday but did not give any further details. Iran often holds defense drills and announces advances in military capabilities in a bid to show its readiness to counter any military threats over its disputed nuclear program.  

The UN General Assembly's human rights committee has passed a resolution condemning the Iranian government for the crackdown on protests following the June presidential election. The committee also criticized Tehran's human rights record and arbitrary arrests, and called for the release of political prisoners. The resolution was passed on Friday with 74 votes in favor, 48 against, and 59 abstentions, and is likely to be approved at a United Nations plenary session.  

The United States has expressed hopes that Iran will still decide to accept the IAEA-backed proposal on a nuclear fuel deal. The mid-October nuclear draft deal discussed in Vienna envisages Iran shipping out its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to be further enriched and later returned to the country for the Tehran medical research reactor. The idea was first floated by Washington.

Why do they [Western countries] insist on taking our 3.5-percent-enriched uranium out of the country?   -Manouchehr Mottaki

 

The six world powers pressuring Iran over its nuclear program, say their patience is running out. On Friday they said they were reviewing their two-track approach to Iran, and will meet to discuss broadening sanctions in order to punish Iran. The six nations have been negotiating with Iran on the basis of providing incentives if it were to agree to their demands, and punitive measures if it did not. One difficulty the group has is that Russia and China are not completely willing to go down that track.

This is something the Iranians agreed to in principle   -Robert Wood

 

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front welcomes the Iranian government's interest in helping resolve the decades-old Moro rebellion in Mindanao. Jun Mantawil, chair of the MILF's peace panel secretariat, said that Iran's interest was a clear indication of the growing international support for the 13-year-long peace talks. He said that more support from the international community would be better for the peace process because it will pressure the government into honoring agreements already reached.  

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday called for the expansion of trade ties between Iran and Turkey, the official IRNA news agency reported. "Iran and Turkey can be each other's major trade partners," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying at his meeting with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz. The Iranian president also said that if Tehran-Ankara trade relations are well adjusted, they will secure mutual interests.

Iran and Turkey can be each other's major trade partners   -Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

 

Washington, Nov 21 (AFP) The US has said it hopes Iran will still accept a confidence-building nuclear deal even as it plans to meet again with five other world powers to discuss steps to end Tehran's defiance. Meeting in Brussels yesterday, the six powers expressed disappointment that Iran has "not responded positively" to a deal to ship low-grade nuclear fuel abroad or agreed to new talks. But US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said that the United States and its negotiating ...  

The United Nations criticized Iran on Friday for numerous human rights abuses in the wake of the disputed presidential election in June, including the arrests, intimidation and mass trials of members of the political opposition. A draft resolution detailing the criticism was approved by a vote of 74-48, with 59 countries abstaining. Although a resolution rebuking the Islamic Republic for domestic oppression has been an annual event for about 15 years, the latest version expressed particular concern about the "rise in human rights violations" after the election.

The election was another display of the democratic nature and openness of the political system   -Mohammad Khazaee

 

Mohamed ElBaradei, the departing chief of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency, said Iran's continued refusal to accept tighter scrutiny of its nuclear activities would likely force the international community to impose new sanctions. Though he described sanctions as a "grievous violation of human rights" that "affect the weak" and "do not solve problems," Mr. ElBaradei said Iran's continued intransigence regarding its nuclear program would likely lead world powers to increase their pressure ...

The ball is in Iran's court   -Mohamed ElBaradei