Iran may ask Turkey to mediate in nuclear talks with six major powers when it plays host in Istanbul next month, euronews reprots. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held closed-door talks with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, on a visit to the city this week.
Posts Tagged ‘president mahmoud ahmadinejad’
The Stuxnet worm: Yet to turn
December 16th, 2010 |
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New twists in the story of a mysterious and sophisticated cyber-weapon
IS THE price of second-hand computers about to plunge in Iran? Those in its nuclear facilities have been infected by the Stuxnet worm, an ingenious cyber-weapon seemingly designed specifically to sabotage uranium-refining by disrupting centrifuges’ industrial-control systems. On November 29th President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad admitted Stuxnet had hit “a limited number” of the centrifuges. He had previously said that only administrative machines at nuclear facilities had been infected. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported a few days earlier that engineers at Iran’s Natanz plant had stopped feeding uranium into its centrifuges, but Iran said it restarted the process six days later. IAEA figures also showed the refining was less productive.
This is just what a Stuxnet attack would look like. According to Symantec, a computer-security company, the worm performs an inventory of the systems it is running on, looking specifically for “frequency converter drives” made by two firms, one Iranian and the other Finnish, running at speeds between 807 Hz and 1210 Hz. (These high frequencies correspond to the rotation speeds of centrifuges; America tightly controls the export of frequency converter drives able to operate at frequencies above 600 Hz.) …
Green November
November 5th, 2009 |
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Iran’s opposition takes to the streets again
THIRTY years ago, the world was mesmerised by pictures of 52 blindfolded Americans being taken hostage in their embassy in Tehran by Iranian students. This week’s anniversary provided more gripping scenes, as Iranians used the official celebration of that event to take to the streets once again, this time to protest against their own government and their country’s controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose re-election in June they still hotly dispute.
The green movement, as the opposition calls itself, had held no big rally since Jerusalem Day in mid-September, when protesters turned an officially sponsored event into an anti-government one. On November 4th they did it again. Thousands came on to the streets, despite dark warnings from the authorities. There were big demonstrations in Tehran, and reports of others in provincial cities such as Arak, Isfahan, Mazandaran, Rasht, Shiraz and Tabriz. The internet hummed with tales of opposition protests, replete with videos and photographs. It was hard, however, to assess the size of the crowds. …
Ahmadinejad orders swift action against Iran bombers
October 19th, 2009 |
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered Iranian authorities to swiftly track down those who planned Sunday’s suicide attack in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
“I am ordering the relevant officials to identify quickly the elements behind this terrorist crime and hand them over to the judiciary,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
“I assure the [...]
Even greater expectations
October 9th, 2009 |
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Is it premature to give Barack Obama the Nobel peace prize, less than a year into his presidency?
BARACK OBAMA, who has been America’s president for just nine months, has won the 2009 Nobel peace prize. Perhaps the Nordic judges felt it was a suitable consolation after Chicago lost out to Rio de Janeiro in its bid to host the 2016 Olympic games. Or the prizegivers might have felt moved by Mr Obama’s personal story: that a mixed-race man is president says much about the peaceful progress on race relations in America. Instead they emphasised Mr Obama’s aspirations and his commitment to diplomacy, even if, so far, he has achieved little that is concrete.
Most broadly, he has sought to engage with opponents, saying that America would “extend a hand, if you unclench your fist”, for example to those who were earlier dismissed as an “axis of evil”. Somewhat to the discomfort of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had bolstered his domestic support by vilifying America as an aggressor, Mr Obama has proposed holding talks about nuclear affairs, removing a precondition that Iran first abandon enrichment of uranium. Mr Obama made withdrawal of American forces from Iraq one of the main pledges of his election campaign and has since overseen a slightly quicker run down of troops than was envisaged by Mr Bush. Towards North Korea, too, Mr Obama has dangled the prospect of bilateral talks and closer engagement. …
Iranian president raises stakes against Israel
September 18th, 2009 |
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has raised the stakes against Israel by describing the Holocaust as a lie. It comes just as world powers are trying to decide how to deal with the nuclear ambitions of an Iran in political turmoil.
Iran’s parliament approves 18 cabinet nominees
September 3rd, 2009 |
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Iranian MPs have approved 18 nominees put forward by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his 21-member Cabinet. They include the first woman to serve as a minister since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Lawmakers voted Thursday after five consecutive days of debate.
Iran MPs back 1994 bomb suspect
September 1st, 2009 |
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Iranian MPs have strongly backed the defence minister-designate, in defiance of Argentine demands for his arrest over a bomb attack in Buenos Aires.
Ahmad Vahidi faced no opposition from MPs on the third day of a debate on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s choices for his new cabinet.
Interpol has distributed a warrant for Mr Vahidi’s arrest for a 1994 attack on a Jewish centre which killed 85 people.
Mr Ahmadinejad’s line-up will be put to a confidence vote on Wednesday.
Over two stormy days of debate, conservative MPs who dominate the Majlis have lashed out at some of the nominees for lacking experience and on the grounds that three of the 21 are women.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
It is far from over
August 5th, 2009 |
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad still faces bitter and spreading opposition
THE incumbent president claims to have won a walloping 63% of the vote in the disputed presidential election of June 12th. He is still backed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic republic’s powerful supreme leader, its security forces, its state-run media and a parliament dominated by fellow conservatives. Yet, after his inauguration on Wednesday August 5th, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has little to savour as he settles in for a second four-year term. His position is far from secure. The crisis is still acute.
The problems faced by Mr Ahmadinejad were symbolically exposed at a confirmation ceremony held on Monday to launch his second term. In a pointed break with protocol, numerous top officials, including two former presidents, found themselves too busy to attend. So were several notable members of the family of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution of 1979 and the Islamic republic’s founding father, who by tradition are prominent at such events. And when Mr Ahmadinejad tried to repeat the unprecedented show of fealty he performed at the last such ceremony in 2005 by kissing Mr Khamenei’s hand, this time the supreme leader flinched, prompting a clumsy kiss of his shoulder instead. …
The week ahead
August 2nd, 2009 |
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New evidence of the state of the American economy, and other news
• IN IRAN president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to consolidate his grip on power, after disputed elections. On Monday August 3rd the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will hear Mr Ahmadinejad give the oath of office. Later in the week a public ceremony is planned. Although Mr Ahmadinejad has emerged triumphant in his contest with opposition figures, his dominance of Iranian politics has been constrained by fellow conservative politicians.
See article …
Iran protesters ‘to face trial’
July 29th, 2009 |
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About 20 Iranians detained during protests over the disputed presidential election will face trial next week, Iran’s state news agency has said.
It said they faced charges including bombings, carrying weapons and attacking security forces.
But a considerable number of detainees will be freed by Friday, Iranian media quoted the state prosecutor as saying.
And a prominent opposition campaigner, Saeed Hajjarian, is due to be released on Wednesday, the judiciary said.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was re-elected in last month’s poll that the opposition says was rigged, has reportedly ordered that all prisoners not accused of serious offences be freed by 7 August.
On Tuesday, officials said about 140 people detained during the protests were released from Evin prison.
But about 200 others, accused of more serious crimes, remained in the prison.
Toll raised
Officials also announced on Tuesday that 30 people were killed in clashes between opposition supporters and security forces – up from a previously stated figure of about 20.
Opposition groups believe up to 100 people may have died, in the largest mass protests seen in Iran since the 1979 revolution which brought the current Islamic regime to power.
Officials also announced on Tuesday that 30 people were killed in clashes between opposition supporters and police – up from a previously stated figure of about 20.
Mr Hajjarian, who survived an assassination attempt in 2000, is a key member of a prominent reformist group and was an advisor to former reformist President, Mohammad Khatami.
Human Rights Watch had called for his release on Tuesday, saying his life was in danger as his health had deteriorated during harsh treatment in the prison.
The opposition groups, led by presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, were planning a memorial event on Thursday to mark the end of the 40-day mourning period for a number of protesters killed during the protests.
But the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday that the interior ministry had refused permission.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Divided leaders
July 27th, 2009 |
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By Jon Leyne
BBC News
With the row over Iran’s disputed election still bitterly dividing the country, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is now in a new dispute with fellow conservatives.
It is an argument every bit as heated as the election row, and potentially even more damaging to the president.
Just over a month after the election, Mr Ahmadinejad provoked fury amongst his fellow conservatives by promoting one of his vice-presidents, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, to the post of first vice-president.
The job would make him the president’s second in command, the man who would take over if Mr Ahmadinejad was run over by a Tehran bus.
As Mr Ahmadinejad must have known it would, the appointment infuriated conservatives.
Mr Mashaie had already angered the establishment by suggesting that Iran was friends with the Israeli people, even though he shared the Islamic Republic’s hatred of the state of Israel.
For days Mr Ahmadinejad rode the storm, ignoring behind-the-scenes hints that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was not happy with the appointment.
Then, finally, a letter from Mr Khamenei was broadcast on state TV, calling for Mr Mashaie to go.
The president had to succumb. But the row is now having more lasting damage.
On Sunday it was announced that Mr Ahmadinejad had sacked his intelligence minister, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie, after what sounds like a heated argument in a cabinet meeting over Mr Mashaie’s appointment.
At one point it was reported that four ministers had left the government. That was denied.
Later, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, announced he had resigned.
It was said that Mr Ahmadinejad had not accepted that resignation, but as of Monday the situation remained unresolved.
Mr Saffar-Harrandi said the row over Mr Mashaie had weakened the government, and that is one of the more polite comments from within the conservative camp.
The conservative newspaper Tehran Emrouz described it as a "chaotic" day for the government.
Determined to provoke
Another conservative paper, Khabar, published the headline: "Dismissal – the consequence of objecting to Ahmadinejad".
MP Ali Motahari called on Mr Ahmadinejad to "control his nerves" and accused him of intentionally bringing tension to the country.
But Mr Ahmadinejad seems determined to provoke even those who should be his allies.
He immediately appointed Mr Mashaie as his chief of staff and one of his closest aides.
There is also a new job also for Ali Kordan, the former interior minister who was impeached by parliament after falsely claiming to possess a doctorate from an institution he quaintly called the "London Oxford University".
The president has made him an inspector responsible for ministries and the government.
Mr Ahmadinejad’s behaviour may seem counter-productive, but it is completely in character.
When in a corner he likes to come out fighting. Compromise is not a word in his vocabulary.
But the reasons behind the row itself are harder to pin down.
In one version, Mr Mashaie is disliked by conservatives for his relative "moderation" in saying Iran was friends with the Israeli people.
Another analysis has it that conservatives are worried about Mr Mashaie’s links with the controversial sect the Hojjatieh, members of which believe in the imminent return of the so-called hidden imam, the Mahdi, in an apocalyptic scenario.
Certainly Mr Mashaie has been seen as a very powerful influence on Mr Ahmadinejad.
The argument may also indicate unease amongst conservatives over the disputed election itself.
Revolutionary Guards
There are many in Iran who see Mr Ahmadinejad’s re-election as a coup d’etat, in which the real winners were the Revolutionary Guards.
That worries even some dedicated supporters of the Islamic Revolution.
Guidance minister Mr Saffar-Harandi, for example, is not someone who could, by any stretch of the imagination, be called a moderate.
Mr Ahmadinejad has managed to alienate many fellow conservatives, figures like Ali Larijani, who now holds the powerful position of speaker of parliament.
The parliament, or Majlis, could be the next scene of confrontation.
Soon Mr Ahmadinejad is expected to be sworn in for his second term in office. The planned date keeps changing, indicating possible arguments behind the scenes.
Afterwards he must name his new cabinet to be approved by parliament. The present row shows that Mr Ahmadinejad is not likely to propose compromise candidates, and parliament is unlikely to give his nominees an easy ride.
Deadlock over the appointments could even lead to Ayatollah Khamenei being obliged to introduce some form of emergency powers, which would only further weaken his position.
Indeed, according to a strict reading of the constitution, the government would need a vote of confidence from the Majlis even to continue in office if the latest departures mean that more than half its members have been changed during Mr Ahmadinejad’s first term.
Parliament has already shown it can cause big trouble for the president.
According to one member, 200 MPs – a majority – have written to Mr Ahmadinejad asking him to "correct his behaviour so that he follows the leader’s opinion seriously".
Parliament has also set up a committee to look into the condition of detainees arrested in the post-election crackdown.
As much as Mr Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei try to assert their power, it becomes clearer that they have become prisoners of their own constituency, right-wing conservatives.
Already there are whispers about possibly impeaching the president.
The key of course would be the position of the supreme leader, who would have to authorise such a move.
Equally damaging
Either keeping or ditching Mr Ahmadinejad could be almost equally damaging to Mr Khamenei.
All of this must be deeply satisfying for the opposition, as it continues its campaign to have the presidential election result overturned.
But reports continue to emerge of brutal treatment handed out to some of the many opposition supporters still held in prison. Two more detainees are reported to have died, 24-year-old Amir Javadifar and Hossein Akbari, aged 20.
Iran is approaching the Arbayeen or 40th day ceremonies to mark the deaths of those killed in the violence that followed the election. In Shia Islam it is a major date, often the spark for huge protests.
Thursday will be the anniversary of the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, the young Iranian woman who has become a symbol of the protest movement.
By all accounts, opposition supporters are as angry and motivated as they were on the day after the election. Now they face a government divided to its very core.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Iran judge urges arrests decision
July 27th, 2009 |
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The head of Iran’s judiciary has ordered a decision within a week on the fate of prisoners arrested after disputed elections, Iranian media say.
A spokesman for the judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, also said some prisoners should be freed, the Mehr news agency reported.
The spokesman, Ali Reza Jamshidi, said about 300 people remained behind bars.
Meanwhile, an opposition leader has called for people to attend a ceremony for victims of post-election violence.
Mir Hossein Mousavi, a defeated candidate who has accused the authorities of electoral fraud, made the appeal on his website.
‘Catastrophe’
Mr Mousavi and another moderate, defeated candidate, Mehdi Karoubi, said on Sunday they had applied for a permit to hold the commemoration on Thursday at Tehran’s "Grand Mosala", a site of prayer that can hold tens of thousands of people.
"The pro-reform path will continue," Mr Mousavi said in his statement.
"The killings and arrests are a catastrophe, people will not forgive those behind such crimes."
Mr Mousavi said Thursday’s ceremony would be used only for mourning and the recital of the Koran, saying no speech was planned.
"The establishment should respect the constitution and let us to gather to commemorate our killed loved ones," he said.
In the 12 June election, Mr Mousavi was the main challenger to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was declared to have won a comfortable victory.
Thursday marks the 40th day after the start of post-election demonstrations in which at least 20 people were killed and hundreds arrested.
Ayatollah Shahrudi ordered that "those prisoners who have not committed serious enough crimes to keep them in jail should be freed," his spokesman said.
Mr Mousavi said he was sure the judiciary was not being informed about many arrests.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Iran intelligence minister sacked
July 27th, 2009 |
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sacked one of his ministers, a day after he was forced to cancel the appointment of his vice-president.
No reason was given for the sacking of Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie.
Meanwhile, the culture minister quit, saying the government was weakened.
The president is due to announce a new cabinet after he is sworn in for a second term in 10 days’ time, following a disputed election victory.
Amid the turmoil, Mr Ahmadinejad’s office also denied reports that three other ministers were sacked.
One of those reported dismissed, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi, said he was resigning because of the confused reports.
"Unfortunately due to the recent events which shows the esteemed government’s weakness, I will no longer consider myself the minister of culture and will not show up at the ministry as of tomorrow," he said in a letter of resignation carried by the Fars news agency.
Mr Ahmadinejad’s decision to give up on the appointment of his First Vice-President, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, was prompted by the publication of a letter from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei telling him his choice was unacceptable.
On Saturday, however, Mr Ahmadinejad appointed Mr Mashaie as his chief of staff, setting up another potential confrontation with conservatives.
Mr Mashaie had angered hardliners last year by saying Iranians and Israelis were friends.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Iran accused of ‘Zionist’ tactics
July 25th, 2009 |
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One of the defeated moderate candidates in Iran’s presidential election, Mehdi Karroubi, has accused security forces of using harsher methods than Israel.
"The behaviour of Iran’s security agents is worse than those of the Zionist in occupied Palestine," a statement on his website said.
Hundreds have been arrested following protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election last month.
Activists around the world demonstrated against the crackdown on Saturday.
Mr Karroubi and other moderate candidates say the 12 June election was marred by massive fraud.
Iran’s top election body, the Council of Guardians, has said the poll was free and fair. Officials results gave Mr Ahmadinejad more than 62% of the vote.
‘In the gutter’
Days of streets protests against the election results were violently suppressed, drawing international condemnation.
A letter to Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei posted on Mr Karroubi’s website says that "women were attacked with clubs and beaten and thrown in the gutters" during the protests.
"This is more painful in comparison to crimes committed by the Zionists against the oppressed people of Palestine… The Zionist aggressors have some reservations when it comes to confronting women."
Meanwhile activists have taken part in a "global day of action" on Iran.
Protests supported by leading groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International were held in many cities – including Sydney, Seoul, Geneva London, Brussels, Berlin, Dublin.
The demonstrators urged the Tehran authorities to free those arrested. Many held pictures of people they say remain in jail.
Some placards showed Neda Agha Soltan, the 27-year-old woman whose death was captured on a video that was posted on the Internet.
In Amsterdam, Iranian Nobel Peace prize laureate Shirin Ebadi called on the international community to reject the outcome of the election.
In Bishkek, the capital of the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, nine human rights activists marching towards the Iranian embassy were detained and fined for illegally protesting.
Two days ago Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev won a second presidential term in an election criticised by foreign monitors.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
US pessimistic on Iran overtures
July 23rd, 2009 |
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The US secretary of state has said Washington is still willing to engage with Iran but that political turmoil there means a response is unlikely.
Hillary Clinton told the BBC the US was waiting for Iran to respond but that Tehran "does not have any capacity to make that kind of decision right now".
Barack Obama has made verbal overtures towards Iran, but last week Mrs Clinton warned its time to respond was limited.
The US accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.
"We haven’t had any response," Mrs Clinton told the BBC’s state department correspondent Kim Ghattas.
"We’ve certainly reached out and made it clear that’s what we’d be willing to do, even now, despite our absolute condemnation of what they’ve done in the [12 June presidential] election and since but I don’t think they have any capacity to make that kind of decision right now."
The Iranian opposition has accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of rigging the outcome of the poll, which saw Mr Ahmadinejad returned to office.
Days of streets protests against the results were violently suppressed, drawing widespread condemnation from around the world.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Arrests at new Iranian protests
July 21st, 2009 |
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Iranian riot police are reported to have arrested a number of pro-reform protesters in Tehran after demonstrations turned violent.
Police clashed with hundreds of people marching despite a ban on public gatherings since the disputed election in June, Reuters news agency said.
The re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked widespread protests and allegations of vote-rigging.
Defeated candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi has continued to contest the result.
Mr Mousavi has issued statements opposing the election result, saying detention of protesters would not end opposition.
A reformist former prime minister of Iran, he has received backing from several senior figures within the Iranian establishment.
Among them are two former presidents, Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami.
On Monday Mr Khatami called for a referendum on the legitimacy of the government.
Mr Khatami, quoted on Iranian websites, said millions of Iranians had lost faith in the electoral process.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Khatami urges referendum on poll
July 20th, 2009 |
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The former president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, has called for a referendum on the legitimacy of the government, following June’s disputed elections.
Mr Khatami, quoted on Iranian websites, said millions of Iranians had lost faith in the electoral process.
The Iranian opposition, including Mr Khatami and the defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, say the election was rigged.
Only the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, can organise a referendum.
He has already declared the elections, won by the incumbent, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as valid.
Thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets after the poll results were announced, to protest against what they saw as mass fraud.
At least 20 people are thought to have died during weeks of clashes.
The authorities banned all gatherings and the protests have died down in recent weeks. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Israel condemns Iran-PA meeting
July 20th, 2009 |
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Israel has accused a senior Palestinian official of meeting "the extreme enemies of peace" after he held talks with Iran’s foreign minister.
The Palestinian Authority’s top negotiator Saeb Erekat said he had met Manouchehr Mottaki last week.
He rejected reports that these were the first such talks, saying the two had been meeting since 2006.
Iran backs the PA’s rival, Hamas, and its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel’s destruction.
Mr Erekat said he and Mr Mottaki spoke for about half an hour at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, last week.
"I told him that Iran should continue supporting the Palestinian people… and they should work towards our unity and he agreed," he said.
Israeli prime ministerial spokesman Mark Regev, said:
"Unfortunately, the Palestinian side has placed all sorts of preconditions on the resumption of peace talks. It appears though that they have no qualms about talking to the most violent and extreme enemies of peace."
The PA has been negotiating with Israel for years on a two-state solution, but is currently refusing talks unless Israel freezes all settlement activity – a condition of a 2003 agreement.
Israel accuses Iran of sending weapons to Hamas in Gaza and training its militants.
In March, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said Iran should "stop interfering" in Palestinian affairs, after its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei urged "resistance" against Israel.
"They are interfering only to deepen the rift between Palestinians," he said.
Street fighting erupted between Hamas and Mr Abbas’s Fatah faction in Gaza in June 2007, during which Hamas forces seized control of the coastal strip.
Egyptian-brokered unity talks between the two factions have so far failed to bear fruit.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.