Writing in the Washington Quarterly, Kenneth Pollack and Ray Takeyh have a rather bizarre piece calling for the United States to "double down" on Iran, including direct efforts to destabilize the clerical regime. While rejecting preventive war -- at least for the moment -- they call for a variety of new pressures, including the use of Special Forces and other military means to ramp up the pressure. Although filled with protective caveats, their article portrays these escalated pressures as something of a last-ditch effort to convince Iran to give up its nuclear enrichment program. ››read more

Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses his post “Experts Urge US Not to Reject Iran Nuclear Deal” and why the Obama administration is guaranteed to reject it anyway ››read more

US officials were angrily rejecting the notion of revitalizing a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran almost the moment the Iranian government proposed it, but experts are now pushing the Obama Administration to reconsider, saying the deal is worth pursuing. ››read more

Ray McGovern, member of Veterans For Peace and former senior analyst at the CIA, discusses his article “Israel’s Window to Bomb Iran;” how the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate thwarted the Bush administration’s push for war; Israel’s increasing isolation as its allies depart en masse; Obama’s acute vulnerability to the “Likud lobby’s” influence during his reelection bid; the former Mossad chiefs who worry about Netanyahu’s warmongering; and whether military leadership will speak up to Israel to avoid war with Iran – like admirals Mullen and Fallon did in 2007. ››read more

Tehran ReactorIn comments today during a live interview on Iranian state TV, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated that the Iranian government is willing to “immediately’ stop all production of 20 percent enriched uranium. ››read more

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday once again blasted the West for launching a false negative propaganda campaign to portray Iran's nuclear program as a threat, and invited international experts to visit the country's nuclear sites and facilities. ››read more

Israel's Dimona nuclear facilityThose who follow the Israeli media will see the nation’s government afraid of a myriad of things. Today, as it so often does, attention turns to Iran’s nuclear program, but with a different spin than usual. ››read more

Iran's top diplomat last week reaffirmed an offer by the nation's president to halt production of higher-enriched uranium if provided equivalent material by the United States, the Asia Times reported on Wednesday (see GSN, Sept. 29). ››read more

Sticking to its long-held stands despite pressure, India has voiced public support for a historic Palestinian bid for UN membership and reiterated its relationship with Iran - two issues on which it differs diametrically from the United States. ››read more

Ali Akbar SalehiWhile attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi took time out to discuss in depth with Kaveh L Afrasiabi the latest developments regarding Iran's nuclear program, relations with Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, as well as Tehran's key foreign policy priorities. ››read more

While Obama abjures his responsibilities as the person (nominally) in charge of American foreign policy, for politically craven reasons, he is not even reaping any political benefit from it. Is Prime Minister Netanyahu now going to start telling his American supporters to help get Obama re-elected? Will his approval ratings in Israel or among ardently pro-Israel constituencies in the United States now go up? Will Rick Perry stop running to the right of Obama on Middle East issues? ››read more

Obama, Netanyahu

The Pentagon declined to confirm the sale, but Press Secretary George Little did say that US was “committed to helping Israel maintain its qualitative military edge.” The bombs had been sought for an Israeli attack on Iran, something the Netanyahu government has repeatedly threatened. ››read more

Paris respects Iran’s right for peaceful use of nuclear energy, France's Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, said in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali-Akbar Salehi, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Pointing to Iran's desire for development of relations with every country based on principle of respect to bilateral interests and sovereignty, he emphasized that Iran has the potential to work in the common grounds of cooperation to help the establishment of peace in Afghanistan, fighting drug trafficking, terrorism and extremism. ››read more

"We are seeing attempts of cyberspace being used by some states to act against others -- of it being used for political-military purposes," said the foreign ministry's emerging challenges and threats department chief Ilya Rogachyov.
"Experts believe that traces of this lead back to the actions of Israel and the United States," Rogachyov told reporters. "This is the only proven case of actual cyber-warfare." ››read more

Russia will continue cooperation with Iran in the nuclear sphere and does not rule out construction of another nuclear plant. This was announced on Thursday by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

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“As President of the United States of America, I have to do what I have to do which is pretty much what I’m told to do by the Israeli Lobby..."
“Even after I cast my veto, I expect Republicans and members of my own party to accuse me of throwing Israel under the bus for not imposing sanctions on the 150 states that are likely to support the Palestinian state.” ››read more

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says any future relations between Iran and the United States will be determined by Washington's change in attitude toward Tehran. ››read more

The following is a transcript of my conversation with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. The interview was conducted in New York City on September 20, 2011. ››read more

Ali Gharib writes about a report on US nuclear intelligence on Iran issued by the Atlantic Council which, as he quotes, concludes that US intelligence on Iran is "better and worse" than on Iraq. And when you hear such nonsense as "better and worse" then your ears should perk up for some absurdities coming your way. ››read more

Dr ShahriariIran's nuclear chief has once again denounced the 'heinous' assassinations of Iranian scientists, describing the crimes as a disgrace to humanity. ››read more