Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Iran

Iran Rules Out Halt Of Uranium Enrichment

Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh addressing the IAEA earlier this month (epa)

March 31, 2006 -- Iranian officials have rejected calls from world powers to halt uranium enrichment, a process which can produce fuel for nuclear power stations or atomic bombs.

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March 31, 2006

Western news agencies quote Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh, Iran's representative to the United Nation's nuclear watchdog agency, as saying Tehran's decision to pursue enrichment is not reversible.

His comments came after the UN Security Council on March 30 unanimously approved a statement demanding that Tehran suspend uranium enrichment activities and calling on the UN nuclear agency to report on Iran's compliance in 30 days.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on March 30 said Iran could eventually face international sanctions if it refuses demands to halt enrichment.

But senior diplomats from Russia and China, speaking after a meeting of the five permanent Security Council members in Berlin, indicated their governments did not support sanctions or the use of force against Iran.

(compiled from agency reports)

What The Street Thinks

A demonstration in support of Iran's nuclear program outside the Isfahan uranium-conversion facility in Isfahan in January (epa)

IRANIANS SPEAK OUT ON THE DISPUTE: To find out more about what Iranians think about the international controversy over their country's nuclear program, RADIO FARDA asked listeners to express their views....(more)

THE COMPLETE PICTURE: RFE/RL's complete coverage of controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program.

CHRONOLOGY

An annotated timeline of Iran's nuclear program.

Iran has stepped up its pressure on activists using the Internet

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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

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Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Many Iranians have been claiming that their access to social networks and Internet-based e-mail sites has been blocked in recent days.

Iran Tightens Internet Control

Iranians are reporting that their access to Facebook and Internet-based e-mail sites like Gmail has been blocked, without any explanation from the government. Not even the strongest antifiltering programs have penetrated the firewall, they say. Some speculate the move is related to Iran's plan to launch a national internet, which might sever Iranians' ability to access the World Wide Web. More