Thursday, February 16, 2012

Iran

IAEA Head Says Iran Must Halt Enrichment

Muhammad el-Baradei (file photo)

8 October 2004 -- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei said today that Iran must freeze all its uranium-enrichment activities by the IAEA board meeting on 25 November.

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October 08, 2004

El-Baradei said that he is hopeful Tehran will comply by a meeting of the UN nuclear agency's board of governors scheduled for the end of November.

El-Baradei also said that although the UN nuclear agency has not detected any signs that Iran is using its nuclear program for military purposes, Tehrans' assurances that its program is strictly peaceful need to be verified by international inspectors.

El-Baradei said that if Iran fails to comply, the IAEA board will consider "further steps." The United States has called for Iran to be referred to the UN Security Council, which can impose sanctions.

Iran has repeatedly said that it will not give in to foreign pressure on its nuclear intentions.

(Reuters/AP)

For more on Iran's nuclear program and its dealings with the IAEA, see RFE/RL's webpage on Iran.

India -- Investigators work at the site where a vehicle exploded near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, 13Feb2012

Alleged Attacks Tehran's Way Of Lashing Out?

(INTRO) Israel has blamed Iran for two bombings targeting its diplomats in India and Georgia this week, as well as for a botched bombing in Bangkok that Thai intelligence officials said were aimed at top Israeli diplomats. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran's "terrorist activities" have been exposed, but Iran has denied any involvement. RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari spoke to Juan Zarate, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and former Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism about the attacks and Iran's alleged role. More

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad (center) looks on as scientists unveil a fuel rod at the Tehran Research Reactor.

Iranian Nuke Still One-To-Three Years Away, Says Expert

Iran on announced on February 15 that it has installed its first domestically produced nuclear fuel rods in a reactor in Tehran. Tehran also announced that it activated a new generation of centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility. RFE/RL spoke with nuclear physicist Frank Barnaby about what the advances reveal regarding Iran's uranium enrichment abilities, which Western countries allege are aimed at secretly building a nuclear weapon. More

Iran has stepped up its pressure on activists using the Internet

Iranian Activists, Journalists Receive Threatening E-mails

A number of Iranian activists and journalists based inside and outside the country have told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda they have been threatened in anonymous e-mails. More