Iran Focus: Tehran, Sep. 24 At least 120 persons have been hanged in public in Iran since March, according to the state-owned press. A man was hanged in public today in the city of Ahwaz (southwestern Iran). Mohsen Sh. was accused of
armed robbery.
His two alleged accomplices, Peyman B. and Shahin R., were sentenced to having their right hands and left feet amputated.
Iran: 120 executions in public since March
Top Cleric Warns U.S. Against Effort To Deprive Iran Of Nuclear Technology
AFP: A top Iranian conservative cleric warned the United States
on Friday against working to thwart Tehran’s efforts to acquire
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
“If you want to do something that would deprive the Iranian nation …, thus hurting the nation, you would be faced with the Iranian nation’s fists,” Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani
said, addressing US President George W. Bush.
Diplomats: EU Ready for Tougher Action on Iran
Reuters: European countries are losing patience with Iran over its nuclear program, diplomats said on Friday, as France’s foreign minister insisted Tehran must assure the world it does not plan to acquire nuclear weapons.
Western diplomats close to negotiations between Britain, France and Germany and Iran said the European trio might soon be ready to support U.S. demands to refer Tehran’s nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council in November.
Putin urges Iran to yield to IAEA demands
Reuters: Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Iran on
Friday to heed the demands of the U.N. nuclear watchdog after Tehran defied the United Nations by going ahead with its uranium enrichment programme.
Russia is helping the Islamic republic build a nuclear reactor
at the port of Bushehr despite strong criticism from the United States which says Tehran is seeking atomic weapons.
Iran, accused and defiant
The Economist:”WE HAVE made our choice: yes to peaceful nuclear technology and no to nuclear weapons,” said Iran’s president, Muhammad Khatami, this week. But few are convinced. Among the doubters are Britain, France and Germany, the European trio that last October thought they had the makings of a face-saving deal to head off Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Since then, inspectors have turned up more evidence of past wrongdoing, and Iran has turned more belligerent.
Iran, accused and defiant
The Economist:”WE HAVE made our choice: yes to peaceful nuclear technology and no to nuclear weapons,” said Iran’s president, Muhammad Khatami, this week. But few are convinced. Among the doubters are Britain, France and Germany, the European trio that last October thought they had the makings of a face-saving deal to head off Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Since then, inspectors have turned up more evidence of past wrongdoing, and Iran has turned more belligerent.
Conservatives flex muscles in Iran’s new parliament
Financial Times: Iran’s parliament has asserted its claim to control contracts signed by the government with international companies, highlighting a constitutional right that had fallen into disuse.
The move reflects the desire of a conservative majority elected in February to rein in the reformist government of President Mohammad Khatami in its last year of office.
Royal Navy tells Iran to return boats
Daily Telegraph: Adml Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord, has demanded the return of three Royal Navy river patrol boats seized by Iran in June. He said it was “outrageous” that Iran
still held them.
Respol, Shell sign natural gas deal with Iran’s NIOC
AFP: The Spanish oil group Repsol YPF and British-Dutch group Shell have signed a project framework agreement involving the Iranian oil company NIOC regarding liquefied natural gas in Iran, Repsol said on Thursday.
Spain’s El Pais newspaper reported earlier that Repsol and Shell had signed an agreement worth $3.96 billion dollars with Iran to exploit natural gas reserves.
US senator urges US to confront Iran on nuclear weapons program
AFP: A prominent Democratic senator urged the Bush administration to directly engage Iran over its suspected nuclear weapons program and that preemptive military force should not be ruled out.
“I don’t want to saber rattle, but I wouldn’t take anything off the table,” said Senator Joe Lieberman …
