Support for Nuclear Talks Strong Among Iranians, But Concerns Linger
Washington, DC – A new poll finds that 62% of respondents in Iran support oversight of the country’s nuclear program “beyond what is currently being undertaken” but would reject proposals to “dismantle half of existing centrifuges and…limits on nuclear research activities.” The latter is believed to be a key point of contention in negotiations between […]
Kristol’s Push for Military Strikes Against Iran
William Kristol and Jamie Fly, neoconservatives who were instrumental in orchestrating the War in Iraq, are at it again. While their previous war advocacy shop, the Project for a New American Century, is now defunct (after a job well done), they have reconstituted their pro-war efforts in the form of the Foreign Policy Institute. This […]
Always assuming the worst with Iran
Today we awoke to an AFP report that Iran had been caught red-handed trying to smuggle “nuclear material” out of Russia. According the report, in response to this illegal act “a criminal enquiry has been launched.” The report seemed to confirm many people’s beliefs about Iran’s willingness to use any means at its disposal, illicit […]
Iran News Roundup 11/15
Details and questions about explosion near Tehran that killed IRGC general Skepticism is emerging about Tehran’s claims that the recent explosion in Iran was an accident and not an Israeli attack. The NY times reported one of the casualties in the explosion was a Revolutionary Guard general who was a key figure in developing Iran’s […]
IAEA report sets off firestorm of comments
The IAEA released its latest report on Iran’s nuclear program, generating a range of responses from arms control groups, government officials, and policymakers in various countries. Here is what some fo them had to say: Arms control groups respond Arms Control Association: The IAEA report and annex reinforce what the nonproliferation community has recognized for some […]
New Report: War Not an Option in Dealing with Iran
A new report by the Oxford Research Group (ORG), an independent UK based non-governmental organization, maps out the growing risk of an Israeli military strike on Iran and the devastating consequences that could lead to a long, protracted war. The report, authored by Professor Paul Rogers, warns that an Israeli attack “would be unlikely to […]
An Unsolved Mystery: Shahram Amiri
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD4SzcAeExg&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Shahram Amiri, an Iranian physicist who has been missing since June of last year, has uploaded two separate videos online sharing completely contradictory accounts of his situation. Which video is real? Or are both just a fraud? In his first video, Amiri says he is residing in Tuscon, Arizona after having been abducted from […]
Shifting on 20% enrichment?
Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Permanent Envoy to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh relayed seemingly coordinated messages yesterday, hinting that Iran might consider giving up its 20% enrichment work, which is currently the biggest stumbling block for the fuel swap deal. While reiterating the usual assertion that uranium enrichment is allowed under the NPT, […]
White House Statement on the TRR Nuclear Swap
The White House has released a statement on the nuclear fuel swap agreement Brazil and Turkey just reached with Iran: We acknowledge the efforts that have been made by Turkey and Brazil. The proposal announced in Tehran must now be conveyed clearly and authoritatively to the IAEA before it can be considered by the international […]
“My Thoughts Turn to Them”
A deal has been reached between Iran, Turkey, and Brazil, in which Iran has agreed to ship most of its enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for nuclear fuel rods to power a medical research reactor. Deprived of the uranium, Iran cannot process it to the higher levels needed for weapons production. In addition, the […]
The Radioactive Elephant in the Room (UPDATED)
With the NPT review conference in New York and the international community increasingly focusing on Iran’s nuclear program, a variety of media sources have picked up on what other countries in the Middle East have been saying for decades. “Israel’s nuclear arsenal stands like the radioactive elephant in the room,” blogger and journalist Khaled Diab […]
Would Ahmadinejad Welcome an Attack on Iran?
“Bomb Iran!” Few words cause more apprehension among Iranians and Iranian Americans than those two put together. Yet attacking Iran is always among the list of suggestions for how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. Whether Iran is pursuing peaceful nuclear energy or a weapon is, however, actually becoming irrelevant. The international community is rallying […]