Since Iran became a radical Islamic Shiite state some 46 years ago, it has been recognized as a perpetrator of both regional and global terrorism.
Russia expressed alarm on Friday that no date or venue had been agreed for a new round of talks between global powers and Iran over Tehran\’s nuclear program.
The EU foreign policy chief said on Saturday that comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who called Israel a \”cancerous tumor\” with no place in a future Middle East, were \”outrageous and hateful.\”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday dismissed harsher sanctions imposed on Iran this month over its disputed nuclear activity, saying the country was \”100 times stronger\” than before.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday it was time to ramp up sanctions against Iran to try to curb its nuclear program after discussing the matter with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
European Union officials said on Monday that Iran has agreed to discuss a proposal from six world powers to curb its production of high-grade uranium at a meeting in Moscow next week in an apparent de-escalation of tensions ahead of the talks.
Iranian politicians said on Tuesday they expected the European Union to backtrack on its oil embargo and repeated a threat to close the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane if the West succeeds in preventing Tehran from exporting crude.
Iran accused Europeans on Monday of waging \”psychological warfare\” after the EU banned imports of Iranian oil, and President Barack Obama said Washington would impose more sanctions to address the \”serious threat presented by Iran\’s nuclear program.\”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Monday a European Union decision to place sanctions on Iranian oil exports, but said it was unclear if the move could thwart Tehran\’s nuclear ambitions. \”I think this is a step in the right direction,\” Netanyahu said at a meeting of his Likud faction in parliament.
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