Iran « nuclear-news

A nuclear Iran is likely to be attacked by Israel

TIMESONLINE September 16, 2009
Israel will attack a nuclear Iran, International Institute for Strategic Studies says Bronwen Maddox: Commentary

If Iran gets nuclear weapons, Israel will make a military attack on it. Continue reading →

September 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Iran, Israel | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Poltical mess in Iran is slowing nuclear program

Nuclear drive a casualty of Iran’s turmoil
Experts say Tehran is unlikely to speed up its program, giving the U.S. and its allies more time to work with.
Los Angeles Times, Special correspondent Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran contributed to this report. 29 August 09
Reporting from Beirut – Iran’s political crisis could prevent the nation from making any swift move to ratchet up its nuclear program, said analysts and officials, giving President Obama and Western allies more time to grapple with the issue.

The chaos over the disputed reelection of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brings into question who calls the shots in Tehran, and what any deal with the Islamic Republic involving its nuclear program would look like.

The Obama administration, concerned that Tehran is seeking to amass the materials needed to manufacture nuclear weapons, set an informal deadline of September for Iran to respond positively to an offer to discuss the matter rather than risk new economic sanctions……………………..
For now, most Iran watchers agree that Tehran will not only be unable to respond positively to the Obama administration’s offer of talks, but also is in too much political disarray to make the major decisions necessary to build a nuclear weapon. Such steps would include further enriching its uranium supply to weapons grade, or constructing controversial new facilities for speeding up the process.

“The nuclear dossier has been stalled and is in a stagnant position, with no back or forth moves,” said Ahmad Shirzad, an Iranian nuclear scientist and political analyst. “The recent events in Iran put all important decision-making in limbo. The postelection events have not completely unfolded, and Mr. Ahmadinejad has not come to a conclusion what to do.”

Nuclear drive a casualty of Iran’s turmoil — latimes.com

August 29, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Iran, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Iran’s nuclear program continuing

Iran is continuing nuclear activity, says United Nations watchdog• Country ‘fails to co-operate with energy inspectors’• West may target foreign petroleum supplies
Guardian. uk by Julian Borger 28 August 09

The UN’s nuclear watchdog reported today that Iran was continuing its uranium enrichment programme in defiance of UN security council resolutions, setting the stage for possible oil and gas sanctions by the west. Continue reading →

August 29, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Iran, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs

Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs Remain Shrouded in Secrecy

— Iran has committed numerous violations of its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards obligations.

Centre for Arms Control and Nuclear Non-Proliferation 17 August 09

— IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei noted in a June 2008 interview that the Iranians “continue to insist that they are interested solely in using nuclear power for civilian purposes. We have yet to find a smoking gun that would prove them wrong. Continue reading →

August 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Iran, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radioactive | Leave a comment

Russia says bank problems delaying Iran nuclear plant

Washington, 10 June (WashingtonTV)—In an interview with the Interfax news agency published on Wednesday, the head of Russia’s nuclear contractor, Atomstroiexport, said that the completion of Iran’s first nuclear power plant was being delayed by Russian banks refusing to work with Tehran.

The state-owned Atomostroiexport is building the nuclear power plant in the southwestern Iranian city of Bushehr, along the Persian Gulf. The project has experienced numerous delays, including some linked to disagreements over payment terms.

“The problems with financing exist because not all Russian banks are ready to work with Iran, and we have to find alternative options,” Atomstroiexport head, Dan Belenky, told Interfax, according to AFP.

http://televisionwashington.com/floater_article1.aspx?lang=en&t=2&id=11149

June 11, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Iran | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radioactive | 1 Comment

Obama Acknowledges Iran’s Right to Nuclear Energy

NTI, June 3, 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday expressed support for Iran’s civilian nuclear power ambitions while calling on the Middle Eastern state to abandon activities that could contribute to nuclear weapons development, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, June 2)…………

……….. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday pledged to continue defying the international community’s attempts at coercion if he is re-elected to office June 12, Agence France-Presse reported.

“If I get elected, I will go to the U.N. and tell the nations there who dare to threaten Iran … hold your hands up,” the first-term president said.

“Due to your resistance, Iran is now a nuclear nation” with “space” capabilities, he added (see GSN, April 15).

The U.N. Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear activities. The body’s five permanent members and Germany hope to negotiate a permanent halt to Iran’s enrichment program in return for civilian nuclear energy assistance and other benefits (Siavosh Ghazi, Agence France-Presse/Google News, June 2).

http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090603_5010.php

June 4, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Sarkozy to meet Iran’s foreign minister

Sarkozy to meet Iran’s foreign minister Jun 2, 2009

By Emmanuel Jarry

PARIS (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet Iran’s foreign minister on Wednesday to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program, in rare talks between a leader of a major power and a senior Iranian politician…………………………

Bilateral encounters at such a senior level between Iran and one of the countries involved in the nuclear issue are highly unusual. It will be the first time Sarkozy has met a top Iranian minister since he took office in 2007.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

The West accuses Iran of secretly developing atomic weapons. Iran, the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter, denies the charge and says it only wants nuclear power to generate electricity………………………………..Sarkozy is due to meet U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday in France and Iran is certain to be on the agenda.

Sarkozy to meet Iran’s foreign minister Wednesday | International | Reuters

June 3, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, Iran, politics | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radioactive | Leave a comment

High Stakes for Moscow in U.S. Play for Iran

High Stakes for Moscow in U.S. Play for IranThe Moscow Times By Fyodor Lukyanov April 16, 2009 The situation in Iran will likely become the center of global tensions in the months and years ahead. Tehran’s desire to establish its status as a regional power will surely clash with Washington’s desire to solidify its own global leadership role. And Russia, which has one foot in both camps, will find itself in an increasingly difficult position………….

……………….Iran is a problem for Russia regardless of which direction Tehran goes. A nuclear-armed Iran would greatly destabilize the region. It is difficult to predict the extent and aim of Iran’s ambitions. Any attempt by the United States to apply force against Iran would mean that the military conflict would be brought to Russia’s southern border. Moreover, if Washington achieves its objectives in Iran, it would shift the strategic balance of power in favor of the United States and away from Moscow. But a failure by the United States to achieve its goals in Iran could undermine the existing balance of power.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1045/42/376232.htm

April 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics, Russia | Leave a comment

Khatami: Israeli nukes the problem

Khatami: Israeli nukes the problem
The Age Daniel Flitton * March 26, 2009IRAN’s former president, Mohammad Khatami, has rejected claims that the Islamic republic is secretly developing nuclear weapons.Speaking in Melbourne yesterday, Dr Khatami said neighbouring countries with atomic arsenal pose a far greater threat to Middle East stability.”If there is a real concern about proliferation, we have to tackle the problem of these countries right now having nuclear arms in the region, not putting pressure on a country that doesn’t have such intention and there is no strategy of having nuclear weapons,” he said.Dr Khatami did not name countries, however Israel is the only Middle Eastern country said to posses nuclear weapons — a program Tel Aviv has never officially acknowledged.

Khatami: Israeli nukes the problem | theage.com.au

March 26, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Iran Says Its Missiles Can Reach Israel Nuclear Installations

Iran Says Its Missiles Can Reach Israel Nuclear Installations

By Ladane Nasseri

March 4 (Bloomberg) — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps said Israeli nuclear sites are within the range of its missiles and warned that the Persian Gulf country will defend itself in the eventuality of military strikes.

“All of the facilities in different areas of the land occupied by the Zionist regimes are within reach of Iran’s missile defenses,” the Corps’ head, Mohammad Ali Jafari, was quoted as saying by the state-run Iranian Students News Agency………………….

Israel has indicated that it may hit Iran’s nuclear sites to cut short Iran’s progress in the nuclear field. The U.S. and Israel claim that Iran’s atomic program is aimed at developing weapons while the Middle-Eastern country says it only seeks to produce electricity.

Iran has missiles with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) putting all of Israel’s land including its nuclear sites within reach, Jafari said. Iran doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state.

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

March 5, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Iran must end ‘nuclear standoff’

Iran must end ‘nuclear standoff’ Aljazeera.net NEWS EUROPE March 02, 2009 Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the UN atomic watchdog, has urged Iran to co-operate with the international community and be transparent over its nuclear programme.

He said: “I again urge Iran to implement all measures required to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme at the earliest possible date and to unblock this stalemated situation.”

Speaking at the beginning of a week-long meeting of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, he also appeared to express hope that the United States’ apparent change in policy towards Iran would help resolve the problem.

“I am hopeful that the apparent fresh approach by the international community to dialogue with Iran will give new impetus to the efforts to resolve this long-standing issue,” he said.

Barack Obama, the new US president, has signalled that Washington may be willing to talk to Tehran over the two countries’ relations.

The United Nations has demanded Iran suspend its enrichment programme over fears it could be used to produce nuclear weapons.

Iran denies the charge, saying its programme is only for generating electricity.

Despite a six-year investigation, the IAEA has been unable to determine whether or not Iran’s uranium enrichment programme is intended for peaceful purposes.

March 2, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Iran and USA – new approach needed

Iran and USA – new approach needed

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 26/02/2009

Reporter: Kerry O’Brien

……….ROBERT BAER:………………………President Obama is moving tentatively to open up serious dialogue with Iran, but that process could be a long, slow one. And if further evidence emerges that Iran is moving closer to nuclear weapons capacity, he would come under pressure to act pre-emptively…………………………….what’s happened is that the United States looks at the Middle East through Israel. And the Arabs and the Persians look at Israel as an outpost of the United States of the West. We’ve lost this anti-colonial game and the Iranians have won it. They’ve simply portrayed themselves as not as religious fanatics, but as an anti-colonial power. And everybody in the Middle East, you look at the polls across the board, even countries like Morocco, which are entirely Sunni, look to Tehran as the great anti-imperial power. We’ve lost the ideological war. You know, that doesn’t mean we lost the war entirely, but we’ve lost the ideological war, but by bringing Iran to the negotiating table; by implementing Resolution 242; closing the settlements in the West Bank; getting the Israelis to a position where they don’t have to feel they have to bomb Gaza; will normalise relations in the Middle East…………. It’s a military dictatorship and any military conflict can be negotiated. Ideological ones cannot be…………………………….The nuclear weapons is a red herring in this conflict with Iran because the Iranians are not going to build a bomb now. I’m almost convinced of it. In as much as you can predict anything, they are not going to build and test a bomb now. It causes them too much problems – too many problems – they’ve gained too much. There would be international embargo, sanctions and on and on. Even Russia and China would back away. Nuclear bomb – they don’t need one right now, it’s just a way to get us to the negotiating table. But the major point is they’re not going to commit suicide. If the Iranians wanted to commit suicide, they could have done it long ago in the Gulf. Started a war with the United States. And they’re not going to start one with Israel either.

The 7.30 Report – ABC

February 27, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics, USA | Leave a comment

What the coming dialogue between US-Iran holds

What the coming dialogue between US-Iran holds Saudi Gazette Patrick Seale 26 February 2009 A WASHINGTON consensus is emerging about the necessity of talking to Iran – sooner rather than later. President Barack Obama has spoken of reaching out to the Islamic Republic, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has responded by expressing a readiness to talk. He has even written a letter to Obama congratulating him on his election. This must surely be taken as a signal of a coming thaw.Both sides recognize that, after 30 years of stubborn mutual hostility, the time for dialogue has arrived. It may still be premature to expect an early restoration of diplomatic relations, but the opening of a US-staffed interests section in Tehran seems a likely prospect…………………..Several developments seem to be driving the US and Iran to the negotiating table. Of these, probably the most important is Iran’s progress in enriching uranium. Although it denies any intention to manufacture nuclear weapons, Iran’s scientific and technological achievement suggests that it is on the ‘threshold’ of becoming a nuclear power. But it is by no means certain that it will choose to take that extra step.
America’s interest lies in persuading Iran to go no further, while Iran’s interest is to go just far enough to deter any would-be attacker, but not so far as to arouse the fears of its neighbors, and incur the problems and responsibilities of actually becoming a nuclear power.

Saudi Gazette – What the coming dialogue between US-Iran holds

February 26, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics, USA | Leave a comment

Iran Not Cooperating, but Israel undermining nuclear non-proliferation

IAEA Chief: Iran Not Cooperating By VOA News17 February 2009 The head of the United Nations’ nuclear agency says Iran is not helping resolve questions about any possible military aspect of its nuclear program.

IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said Tuesday in Paris that Tehran is not providing any access or clarification on the issue. Western nations have accused Iran of working on nuclear programs in the past, as well as possibly continuing such efforts. The U.N. has placed Tehran under three sets of international sanctions for its nuclear work.

Iran says its nuclear program is, and always has been, for peaceful, civilian purposes and argues that it cooperates with the IAEA.

ElBaradei’s comments come one day after he said that Israel’s refusal to sign the nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty is undermining the treaty’s legitimacy in Arab public opinion.

Writing in the International Herald Tribune newspaper Monday, the IAEI chief said that Israel is the only state in the Middle East known to have nuclear weapons.

Israel has never confirmed or denied that it has nuclear weapons. But ElBaradei says Israel’s position creates a perceived double standard.

VOA News – IAEA Chief: Iran Not Cooperating

February 18, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, Israel, weapons and war | Leave a comment

U.S. intelligence reconfirms Iran has no nuclear arms program

U.S. intelligence reconfirms Iran has no nuclear arms program TEHRAN TIMES February 14, 2009 WASHINGTON (Agencies) – U.S. intelligence reconfirms that Iran has no nuclear weapons program, the new U.S. intelligence director Dennis Blair said in an annual threat assessment to Congress on Thursday……………………………Asked about it at a Senate hearing, Blair acknowledged it was a difficult question to deal with in a public setting.

“I can say at this point that Iran is clearly developing all the components of a deliverable nuclear weapons program — fissionable material, nuclear weaponizing capability and the means to deliver it,” he said.

“Whether they take it all the way to nuclear weapons and become a nuclear power will depend a great deal on their own internal decisions,” AFP quoted him as saying.

The assessment comes at a time when the new U.S. administration and Tehran appear to be in a diplomatic dance over whether and how to engage in direct dialogue.

tehran times : U.S. intelligence reconfirms Iran has no nuclear arms program

February 14, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, weapons and war | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries Next Entries »