U.N. Agency: Iran ‘Stonewalling’ Nuclear Inspectors

Staff / Truthdig May 27, 2008 Iran's nuclear program is once again raising concerns among members of the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who claim in a new report that, despite earlier signs of cooperation this year, Tehran is leaving key questions unanswered about possible plans to ramp up its uranium enrichment capabilities by the end of this summer. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kerry: U.S., Iran Have Plenty to Talk About

Staff / Truthdig May 25, 2008 Sen. John Kerry (remember him?) has penned an Op-Ed for The Washington Post, taking issue with President Bush's -- and by extension, John McCain's -- argument that engaging in talks with Iran would constitute a dangerous gesture of "appeasement." The No. 1 reason Kerry thinks the GOP leaders' stance is wrong? Well, "In short, not talking to Iran has failed. Miserably." Above, Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Hezbollah Rules West Beirut in Iran’s Proxy War With America

Robert Fisk / Truthdig May 11, 2008 Another American humiliation. The Shia gunmen who drove past my apartment in west Beirut yesterday afternoon were hooting their horns, making V-signs, leaning out of the windows of SUVs with their rifles in the air, proving to the Muslims of the capital that the elected government of Lebanon has lost. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Pentagon Eyeing Military Option Aganst Iran

Staff / Truthdig Apr 26, 2008 On Friday, a day after an American cargo ship fired warning shots at two small boats off the coast of Iran, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen said the Pentagon is considering various options, including military action, to deal with what he characterized as the Iranian government's "increasingly lethal and malign influence" in Iraq. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iran, U.S. in ‘Secret’ Nuke Talks

Staff / Truthdig Apr 15, 2008 Diplomatic relations could be better between Iran and America, and judging by the tough-guy posturing of both nations' presidents, neither side is likely to back down, especially when it comes to Iran's nuclear program. But the secret "back channel" discussions going on between the U.S. and Iran for some five years present a slightly different story. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mosque Blast Kills 9, Injures Scores in Iran

Staff / Truthdig Apr 13, 2008 A homemade bomb was reportedly the cause of a deadly explosion Saturday at a mosque in Shiraz, about 560 miles south of Iran's capital city, Tehran. According to Iran's Fars news agency, nine people were killed and 105 wounded by the blast. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iran’s Parliamentary Election Turnout Lags

Staff / Truthdig Mar 14, 2008 Political observers in Iran are estimating that turnout for Friday's parliamentary elections may break the country's 2004 record low of 51 percent. The government's ruling religious conservative faction is accused of barring many opposition reformist candidates and depressing electoral participation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iranian Report: Pentagon Video Was ‘Fabricated’

Staff / Truthdig Jan 10, 2008 Last Sunday's alleged confrontation between five Iranian boats and a U.S. Navy vessel, the Hopper, in the Strait of Hormuz was not the dangerous confrontation American officials claimed it was, as evidenced by the somewhat confusing footage the Pentagon released Tuesday. In fact, according to a source in Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the video itself was "fabricated." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Report: Iran Halted Nuclear Weapons Program in  ’03

Staff / Truthdig Dec 3, 2007 A new report released by American intelligence officials profoundly contradicts President Bush's claims on the Iran nuclear threat and casts his "World War III" fear-mongering in a dubious light. The National Intelligence Estimate's declassified assessment, compiled from 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, says Iran actually halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 "in response to international pressure." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Iranian Newspaper Blasts Ahmadinejad

Staff / Truthdig Nov 22, 2007 In what may be a sign of turning tides within Iran, a powerful paper in Tehran, The Islamic Republic, published an editorial Wednesday slamming President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's treatment of his political opponents -- an auspicious critique, considering the paper's close ties with Ayatollah Khamenei. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Chavez and Ahmadinejad Huddle in Iran

Staff / Truthdig Nov 20, 2007 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stopped off in Tehran to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after the weekend's OPEC summit in Saudi Arabia, marking Chavez's fourth trip to Iran in two years. During their tête-à-tête, the two least likely leaders to drop in for dinner at the White House discussed, among other things, the dollar's recent and precipitous decline. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. Gives Mixed Reviews to Iran’s Nuclear Program

Staff / Truthdig Nov 16, 2007 The good news, according to the U.N.'s nuclear agency, is that Iran earlier was forthcoming with information about its nuclear program. The bad news is that Iran is not now offering the same level of transparency, is reportedly still enriching uranium in defiance of the Security Council and may be, according to the BBC, cooperating just enough to avoid additional sanctions. Above, Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )