Defiant Iran Tests 2 Missiles

Move illustrates internal tensions as nuclear talks loom

(AP) - Iran's president abruptly fired his foreign minister today and named nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi as acting top diplomat. It's the latest sign of a rift at the top levels of the Islamic theocracy as the country faces intense pressure from the West over its nuclear program. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave no explanation for the change in a brief statement on his website. More»

But Iran won't retreat 'even an iota' on right to program

(AP) - Iran will not give up its nuclear program but is ready to cooperate with the West, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech today. It's Western powers that have moved, he said in a speech on state television, “from confrontation to interaction” with Iran on the nuclear issue so that “ground has been paved for nuclear cooperation.” Ahmadinejad's remarks appear to reinforce Iran's support for the general outline of a UN-drafted nuclear deal, but he insisted his government "will not retreat even an iota" over the nation's right to pursue a nuclear program. More»

Nation may have reached its goal

(NEWSER) - Iran has likely taken its nuclear program as far as it wants to and the nation may be willing to make a deal with the US and its allies this month, analysts say. The country has developed the capability to create and deliver a nuclear weapon without actually making it, which many believe was its goal all along. "Iran has all the advantages of actual possession of a bomb without any of the unpleasant consequences of the sort North Korea is suffering,” one expert notes. More»

Iran says nukes not on the table, but White House will try anyway

(NEWSER) - The US has accepted an offer from Iran to hold direct talks on a range of issues, the New York Times reports, despite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's insistence that the country's nuclear enrichment program will not be on the negotiating table. State Department officials say they will still press Iran on the nuclear issue during the unconditional talks, which will also include Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. More»

(NEWSER) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took square aim at Iran's nuclear ambitions today, bluntly warning Tehran that "Your pursuit is futile." Clinton’s statements mark a step back from her musings earlier this week about creating a “defense umbrella” to protect other Middle Eastern countries from a nuclear Iran, Politico reports. “We believe, as a matter of policy, it is unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” Clinton said. More»