Russia Calls For Continued Diplomacy With Iran

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov (file photo) (epa) 5 February 2006 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has called for continued diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear program, and said it would be "a very bad sign" if international inspectors were expelled from the country.

Ivanov was speaking at a security conference in Munich after Iran's Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki confirmed that Iran has ended all voluntary cooperation with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).


The move came one day after the board of the IAEA voted to report Iran to the UN Security Council, a move that could lead to sanctions.


A senior U.S. official at the Munich conference, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, said Washington is determined to build a wide global coalition to put pressure on Iran.


(AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Security Guarantees For Iran?

Security Guarantees For Iran?

Hans Blix (CTK)

SECURITY GUARANTEES On January 26, RFE/RL Radio Farda correspondent Fatemeh Aman spoke with former UN chief weapons inspector HANS BLIX about the confrontation between Iran and the international community over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Blix urged the United States to participate in direct negotiations with Tehran and to offer Iran security guarantees that are similar to those being discussed with North Korea...(more)


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Listen to the complete interview (about five minutes):
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THE COMPLETE STORY: RFE/RL's complete coverage of controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program.


CHRONOLOGY

An annotated timeline of Iran's nuclear program.