Iran: On Ground Updates - September 07, 2009

Iran: On Ground Updates
More Worthless Sanctions Against Iran Likely
Monday, September 07, 2009
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A new round of international sanctions against Iran looked almost inevitable today [The Guardian website reports] after the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, said talks with the Islamic republic were at a "stalemate", and the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appeared to rule out a compromise... ElBaradei delivered a despairing account of Iran's nuclear compliance at a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but he also ignited a simmering row with France and Israel, when he accused "some member states" of making "politically motivated" allegations against him... French and Israeli officials have both accused ElBaradei of suppressing damning evidence of Iranian attempts to build nuclear weapons. ElBaradei rejected that claim, saying he had presented all the evidence that had been properly checked in his report on Iran. But the French foreign ministry stuck to its position this afternoon, saying: "France attended a technical briefing at the agency open to all member states. Not all that information was reflected in the report."...
Read the Guardian’s full report at link below...
New Iran sanctions likely after nuclear watchdog says talks at stalemate
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* The Times Online website brings us this report this Monday morning and it starts off like this... Barack Obama’s hopes of persuading Iran to renounce its nuclear ambitions were dashed today as the United Nations watchdog admitted it had reached a “stalemate” with Tehran and President Ahmadinejad declared the nuclear debate “over”... Mr. Ahmadinejad’s show of defiance came as the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gathered in Vienna to discuss Iran’s continuing failure to answer lingering questions about an alleged military dimension to its nuclear programme... The Iranian leader vowed to forge ahead with uranium enrichment even as the clock ticked down to an end of September deadline set by Mr. Obama for Tehran to resume negotiations with representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, the so-called five-plus-one... While Iran would be willing to engage with the world on issues of global concern, the nuclear issue was off the table. “From our point of view, Iran’s nuclear issue is over,” Mr. Ahmadinejad declared...
Read the rest at link below...
Ahmadinejad declares end to debate over Iran's nuclear ambitions
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* The Australian website reports... Venezuela has signed a deal to export 20,000 barrels a day of oil to Iran, boosting Tehran's defiance of looming Western threats of fuel sanctions if it does not suspend its uranium enrichment program... The two countries signed the agreement yesterday during a visit to Iran by Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, who pledged to deepen ties with Iran to stand united against the "imperialist" powers of the world... Western leaders threatened to impose more sanctions against Iran should it refuse to bend to Western deadlines for nuclear talks aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear activities. But the Venezuelan fuel will help cushion Iran against the biting sanctions...
Read this report in full at link below...
Venezuela and Iran sign oil export accord

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Above photo from the President.ir website