Iran

Iran announces $50m aidGAZA CITY (AP) — The Hamas-led Palestinian government on Sunday renewed calls for a “national unity” coalition with rival factions in a bid to stave off rising tensions between the groups that have severely weakened the new Islamic leadership.

World powers condemn nuclear stepTEHRAN (AP) — Iran came under increasing international condemnation — including from allies Russia and China — after announcing it enriched uranium for the first time, but it insisted it will push ahead to dramatically expand the programme that the United Nations had demanded it scrap.

DUBAI — It’s not often the United States, Israel and the Gulf Arab states worry about the same thing. But right now, they are all focused on Iran.

Brushing aside Western threats to refer Tehran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear activities, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed that his country would soon master nuclear technology in the new Iranian year, which starts on Monday AFP reported Sunday.

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s most prominent political prisoner, dissident Akbar Ganji, was released late Friday night after six years in prison.Visibly thinner and sporting a bushy beard, Ganji smiled and greeted family and friends Saturday but refused to make any comments.

TEHRAN (AP) — Iran said Thursday it was prepared to talk directly with the United States about Iraq, a major shift for a country that has long avoided negotiations with what it calls the “Great Satan.” The offer appears to reflect the desire by at least some top Iranian officials …

TEHRAN (Reuters) — Iran said on Monday it was still interested in a Russian compromise solution to its nuclear dispute with the West, but Russia’s foreign minister said the Iranians were fouling up Moscow’s diplomatic efforts.”We are extremely disappointed with the way Iran is behaving in the course of these …

WASHINGTON (AP) — Playing down predictions that Iraq is headed towards civil war, President George W. Bush said Saturday that he’s optimistic a new government will unify the nation. He denounced any moves by Iran or Syria to interfere in Iraq’s effort to build a democracy.

VIENNA (AP) — Russia has proposed that new talks on Iran’s nuclear programme take place March 20, preferably in Vienna, in what diplomats characterised Saturday as an effort to head off a showdown at the UN Security Council.A Western diplomat, who demanded anonymity in exchange for divulging confidential information, said …

VIENNA (AP) — Iran threatened the United States with “harm and pain” on Wednesday for its role in hauling Tehran before the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme.Washington in return warned that Tehran had enough nuclear material to make up to 10 atomic bombs,