Ahmadinejad: Obama Made 'Big Mistake' Over Nukes

Nation has sufficient data, says 'tentative' IAEA conclusion

(NEWSER) - Iran may be closer to making a nuclear weapon than thought: A controversial report by the UN nuclear agency concludes that Tehran has "sufficient information to be able to design and produce" such a device. What's more, Iran has gone beyond just acquiring information from rogue experts and has made progress in fashioning a warhead for a medium-range missile. It's not clear just how much progress. The report hasn't been made public, but European officials discussed it with the New York Times. More»

But official brags it will 'blind the eyes' of enemies

(NEWSER) - Some typically mixed messages out of Iran today: The nation's nuclear chief says UN inspectors will be allowed to visit a newly revealed uranium-enrichment facility. Ali Akbar Salehi says he's "astonished" by the controversy, insisting that Iran has done nothing wrong. Meanwhile, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei boasted that the site will be open soon and will "blind the eyes of the enemies," reports AP. More»

(NEWSER) - A potentially big development on the Iran elections tonight: The nation's most prominent clerical group demanded that the results be thrown out and called the new government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad illegitimate, the New York Times reports. The decision may yet collapse under state pressure, but it's a defiant rebuke of the nation's supreme leader and the clearest sign yet of a serious split in the country's leadership. More»

Opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi's house blocked, phone lines cut

(NEWSER) - Hundreds of Iranian riot police shot tear gas at protesters in Tehran today, as thousands marched toward the city’s central square in a show of solidarity with Egypt. Some police rode motorcycles and wielded paintball guns, the New York Times reports. Protesters chanted “Death to the dictator”—meaning Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Meanwhile, access to opposition leaders was limited; Mir Hossein Moussavi’s phone lines were cut and his house blockaded with cars. Authorities banned reporters from covering the demonstration, echoing press restrictions that followed Iran’s 2009 presidential elections. More»

Overture by key ally raises hope

(NEWSER) - Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's chances of avoiding death by stoning have improved greatly thanks to a surprise offer of asylum from Brazil's president. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's overture this weekend to the Iranian mother of two, who has been sentenced to death for adultery, prompted a serious reaction from Tehran, which views Brazil as a key ally, raising hope that Ashtiani's life will be spared. More»