 RFE/RL Iran Report 12/1/2009 6:23:16 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Iran.For more stories on Iran, please visit and bookmark our Iran page . |
 Britain Calls For Speedy End To Yacht Incident With Iran British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is calling for a swift end to the case of five British yachtsmen aboard a racing yacht that was detained by the Iranian Navy after allegedly straying into Iranian waters. However, Iran says they will be sternly dealt with if they had "evil intentions." More  Understanding Iran's Defiant Nuclear Policy The diplomatic standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions has grown more intense since President Mahmud Ahmadinejad announced that his government intends to build 10 new sites to enrich uranium to supply future nuclear power plants. At the same time, other Iranian officials have suggested Iran is still open to talks. This is not the first time that top Iranian officials have sent such mixed signals, alternating blustery statements with conciliatory gestures. More  Ahmadinejad Comes Back Swinging The announcement by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad that Iran is planning to build 10 new uranium-enrichment facilities surprised even seasoned Iran watchers. But many analysts say the announcement amounts to nothing more than political bluster. So what is Iran playing at? More  Iran’s Parliament Calls For Restricted Cooperation with IAEA Iran's parliament has called on the country’s government to submit a plan on reducing its cooperation level with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The parliament’s move is a reaction to an IAEA resolution that rebuked Iran for secretly building a uranium enrichment plan. More  Muslims In South Asia, Iran, Iraq Begin Eid al-Adha Festival Hundreds of millions of Muslims in South Asia, Iran, and Iraq today began celebrating Eid al-Adha with large prayer services and ritual sacrifice of animals. The majority of Muslims in the Middle East and worldwide began celebrating the festival one day earlier. More  IAEA Votes To Censure Iran Over Enrichment Facility The UN nuclear monitoring agency has passed a resolution criticizing Iran for developing an uranium-enrichment site in secret, and demanding that it immediately freeze the project. More  Furor Grows Over Seized Nobel Medal Controversy is growing over the reported seizure by Iranian authorities of human rights activist Shirin Ebadi's 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. Ebadi disclosed the seizure of her Nobel medal and the freezing of her bank accounts during an exclusive interview with RFE/RL. More  Chavez Hits False Note Greeting Ahmadinejad Venezuela welcomes Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad with the wrong national anthem. More  Offensive Chinese Blue Jeans Blogger "Beautiful Mazandaran" is angry at China over its treatment of Uyghurs, but he is also offended by Chinese-made blue jeans. More  Who Killed Neda? (Revisited) The commander of Iran’s Basij has said that Neda Agha Soltan, who after her death became the symbol of Iran’s Green movement, was killed by someone from the United States. More  'We're All Political Prisoners' A blogger at Madyar (his blog name is Ghomar Asheghaneh, or Amorous Gamble) reacts to the recent release of Iran's former vice president, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, who was arrested in the postelection crackdown. He says Iran is a big prison in which all citizens are prisoners of a state that wants to rob them of all their rights. More  'If You Want To Protest, Just Make Sure Your Mother Doesn't Find Out' Blogger Baghe bi bargi (A garden without leaves) writes that her mother is worried for her safety because of her participation in protests against President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. More  Conflict In Yemen Widens Amid Charges Of Iran Involvement A decades-old conflict in Yemen between the government and northern rebels from the country's Shi'ite minority is heating up. As it does, Yemeni officials are charging Iran with supporting the rebels in a conflict that is also drawing in Saudi Arabia. RFE/RL correspondent Charles Recknagel speaks with RFE/RL's Radio Farda correspondent Hossein Aryan about the fighting in Yemen and whether it risks sparking a larger regional crisis. More |
