The Guardian – Leader Article: No one knows exactly how Iran will react to the latest European proposals for reining in its nuclear ambitions and no one should underestimate the importance of its response.
Nuclear options
Iran’s Nuclear Threat
New York Times – EDITORIAL: One of the most serious questions raised by the debacle in Iraq is whether it has crippled the ability of the world’s leading powers to contain dangerous states. Iran’s nuclear program is a prime case in point: so far, neither threats nor inducements have persuaded its leaders to suspend their uranium enrichment program.
14 die in Iran road accident
Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 21 – At least 14 people have been killed and 24 others left injured in a road accident in Iran, state-run television reported. The incident occurred when two buses had a head on collision on the road between Ahwaz and Khoramabad, about 520 km south-west of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Fist-fight at Irans Majlis
Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 21 A fist-fight broke out yesterday between a current and a former member of Irans parliament (Majlis), ILNA news agency reported. Mayhem prevailed in the Majlis building as deputies, staff members and journalists crowded the corridor where the fighting was taking place.
The Iran Problem Awaiting Bush or Kerry
Time Magazine: While Tehran’s unprecedented “endorsement” of President Bush raised some eyebrows this week, Iran hasnt been much of an issue in the Presidential campaign. But as international efforts to confront the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program enter a critical phase, there’s little doubt Iran will be at the top of a new administration’s agenda. And as the exchange between President Bush and Senator Kerry in the first presidential debate showed, there are not many good options.
Tehran shows defiance on eve of crucial nuclear arms talks by test-firing missile
The Guardian: The Iranian government carried out a missile test yesterday, 24 hours before a make-or-break meeting with Britain, France and Germany on its suspected nuclear weapons programme. The test may have been intended as a warning to the US, Israel and the Europeans on the eve of the meeting in Vienna with the European troika.
Iran Moving Methodically Toward Nuclear Capability
Los Angeles Times: Iran has made steady progress toward producing nuclear fuel and could make significant quantities
of enriched uranium in less than a year, according to new estimates by diplomats, scientists and intelligence officials.
Mastering enrichment will move Tehran a big step closer to being able to build an atomic bomb. Iran’s progress already has intensified its confrontation with the United States and other countries that fear it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Khatami: Kerry, Bush both hostile to Iran
UPI: Iranian President Mohammed Khatami charged Wednesday that President George Bush and his election rival Sen. John Kerry are both hostile to Iran.
The Iranian News Agency, IRNA, quoted Khatami as saying “Kerry and Bush are both wrong if they think they can deprive Iran of its legitimate right to acquire nuclear technology.”
UK parliamentarians debate EU-Iran dialogue
Iran Focus: London, Oct. 20 Several members of Britains House of Commons strongly criticized Tony Blairs government yesterday for its economic ties with Iran, at a time of growing concern over the clerical states human rights violations and nuclear program.
US frowns on reported European nuclear offer to Iran
AFP: The United States said it would be “concerned” by Iran’s acquisition of any new nuclear technology, signalling opposition to a reported European offer to give Tehran a light-water reactor it proves it is not secretly developing atomic weapons. The State Department said the transfer of such technology would be problematic given Iran’s past …
