Iran

The third major gathering of Iraq’s neighboring states, including Syria and Iran, starts in Baghdad on Sunday.

Ambassadors of Islamic countries in a letter to Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt condemned sacrilege of Islamic sanctities and values, and stressed that human values should be misused and violated under the pretext of the freedom of speech.

The chief UN nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei responded to US criticism, saying critics weren’t giving attempts to get Iran to come clean on past nuclear activities a chance to work.

The United States said there was potential merit to Iran’s nuclear transparency deal with UN inspectors, after earlier branding it a diversionary gambit to forestall tougher UN sanctions.

US director Oliver Stone has postponed plans for a film about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and is instead focusing his energies on a film about Vietnam, Pinkville, his spokesman said Friday.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in a meeting with Iran’s visiting Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari stressed Tehran’s right of access to peaceful nuclear technology while fulfilling all its international commitments and obligations.

The Bush administration Friday defended its approach to Iran’s nuclear program in the face of implicit criticism from International Atomic Energy Agency director Mohammed ElBaradei.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that his country has not yet decided about the future of talks with the Untied States over Iraq.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz highlighted his country’s close energy ties with Iran, and described Islamabad as a major customer for Iran’s gas supplies.

Sweden’s deputy foreign minister voiced support for Iran’s right to access peaceful nuclear technology, and further welcomed Tehran’s increased cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).