A young French academic and local employees of the British and French embassies appeared before an Iranian judge today along with dozens of opposition figures accused of involvement in the country's post-election unrest.

Iran’s hardline president shrugged off post-election violence as “passions after a soccer match” and drew his own huge rally of support as protesters battled police and shouted their opposition from the rooftops.

A delegation from the UN’s nuclear watchdog arrived in Tehran today to discuss future inspections of Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

UN inspectors visited a nuclear reactor today being built in central Iran that has been off-limits since April, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Three parked cars exploded within 30 minutes in a predominantly Shiite area in Baghdad today, killing at least 12 people, police said, the deadliest in a series of bombings and shooting attacks nationwide.

Iran has condemned a G8 warning that it could face more sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme, the country’s official Islamic Republic News Agency reported today.

Iranian troops today killed 10 insurgents in ongoing clashes in the country’s north-west, near the border with Turkey, Iran’s official news agency reported.

Two Swedes imprisoned for espionage have been pardoned and will be freed today, according to reports from Iran's official news agency.

UN inspectors have arrived in Iran to visit its uranium enrichment plant, as Western governments and experts expressed dismay and scepticism over Iran’s announcement that it is now enriching uranium on an industrial scale.

Two UN inspectors have arrived in Iran to visit its uranium enrichment plant, the authorities said today as Western governments and experts expressed dismay and scepticism over Iran’s announcement that it is now enriching uranium in industrial quantities.

An Iranian envoy is to be allowed to meet the five Iranians detained by US forces in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil, state media reported today.

Iran today rolled back on a pledge to soon free a British woman sailor, delaying her release because of Britain’s threat to freeze relations and refer the issue to the UN Security Council.

The world’s major powers have sent a strong signal to Iran that they remain united in seeking to rein in its nuclear ambitions.

Iran’s foreign minister today denied the claim of the UN nuclear chief that his country had temporarily slowed its nuclear programme.

The Iranian president had expressed support for a 2002 Arab peace initiative during talks with Saudi officials, it was reported today.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have killed 17 insurgents in clashes in north-western Iran near the border with Turkey that saw four of its officers die, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported today.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today pledged to push ahead with his country’s nuclear programme.

Iran’s military began its largest war games in almost a year today, just two days ahead of a UN Security Council deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment or face further economic sanctions.

Iran today condemned the abduction of its diplomat in Baghdad, adding that it holds the United States responsible for his life.

Iran says it needs time to review a plan proposed by the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency in which it will hold off on imposing sanctions if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment.

An Iranian nuclear agency chief has denied claims made by a top governor that the Islamic republic had begun installing 3,000 centrifuges at an uranium enrichment plant, it was reported today.

Iran is currently installing 3,000 centrifuges, a top Iranian governor said today in an announcement underlining that Iran will continue its nuclear programme despite UN sanctions.

Iran has begun installing 3,000 centrifuges, a top Iranian governor said today.

The Iranian president today described US President George Bush as “evil”, adding that justice requires that Iran face down US arrogance, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Iran today dismissed a UN report that inspectors found new traces of enriched uranium and plutonium at an Iranian nuclear waste facility, saying it has already explained the discovery.

IRAN will offer cash incentives to travel agencies to encourage Western tourists to visit the country, giving a premium for Americans, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Iran’s president has again proposed that he and US President George Bush should hold a public debate and suggested the UN General Assembly later this month would be the perfect place.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan began talks today pressing Iran over two major issues – to help ensure a halt in weapons shipments to Tehran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah and to compromise in its nuclear confrontation with the West.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today claimed Israel could not harm Iran, even as the Jewish state expanded its offensive into Lebanon to target the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today shrugged off the decision to refer Iran’s nuclear programme to the UN Security Council, saying his country would never abandon its plans for the peaceful exploitation of atomic power.

IRAN’S hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called yesterday for a purge of liberal and secular teachers from the country’s universities, urging students to return to 1980s-style radicalism.

A TOP US diplomat said yesterday that most of the UN Security Council's permanent members and the Group of Eight support possible sanctions against Iran in the dispute over that country's nuclear programme.

IRAN’S president declared yesterday his country would not retreat on its uranium enrichment activities.

Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today vowed that Iran would not back away from uranium enrichment and said the world must treat Iran as a nuclear power.

A top Iranian military official today said the country can now defend against any invasion originating from outside the region – a clear reference to the United States – as it tested a second new radar-avoiding missile.

Italy and Russia sent planeloads of tents, blankets and other supplies to help 21,000 Iranian families left homeless by three strong earthquakes that hit in quick succession, killing 70 people.

Three strong earthquakes and several aftershocks jolted western Iran overnight, killing at least 66 people and injuring about 1,200 others, state television reported today.

Two bombs exploded today in separate towns in Khuzestan, a south-western province known for unrest among its Arab population.

ACTING Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said yesterday he was not ruling out the possibility of future peace talks with the Palestinians, despite the appointment of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as the new prime minister.

Iran today said it was still willing to negotiate with the international community over its nuclear programme – but dismissed its referral by the UN nuclear watchdog to the Security Council.

Iran’s president ordered his commerce minister today to study cancelling all trade contracts with European countries whose newspapers have published caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Iran would deliver a “crushing response” to any nation that attacked its nuclear facilities, its defence minister warned today.

Iran’s vice president said today the decision to send Iran’s case to the UN Security Council has no legal justification.

Iran reiterated today that a plan to allow it to enrich uranium in Russia was not acceptable in its present form, but was worth taking further in negotiations.