Head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, expressed optimism about his visit to Iran on arriving there for talks aimed at defusing tension over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

MEMBERS of a radical Jewish sect have met with top Iranian officials in Tehran to show support for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s call for the destruction of Israel.

Iran and Russia have agreed in principle to establish a joint uranium enrichment venture, a breakthrough in talks on a US-backed Kremlin proposal aimed at easing concerns that Tehran wants to build nuclear weapons.

Iran and Russia today agreed in principle to establish a joint uranium enrichment venture, a breakthrough in talks on a US-backed Kremlin proposal aimed at easing concerns that Tehran wants to build nuclear weapons.

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

Russia has formally proposed to Iran that it move its uranium enrichment facilities to Russian territory, raising pressure on the Tehran regime to accept the Western-backed plan for restraining its nuclear program.

Iran’s top nuclear official said today that his country will enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel in Iran, despite US-led international efforts to curb such efforts.

The head of Iran’s nuclear agency has ruled out a compromise proposal that uranium enrichment for his country’s controversial nuclear programme be carried out in Russia.

IRAN yesterday condemned a UN nuclear watchdog resolution requiring that Tehran be reported to the Security Council, but stopped short of announcing the retaliatory measures expected by many diplomats.

THE head of Iran’s nuclear programme yesterday said his country would not halt its uranium enrichment program, but added Tehran would welcome other nations in its ongoing talks with European negotiators.

The head of Iran’s nuclear programme reiterated today that his country wouldn’t drop its uranium enrichment programme and said Tehran would welcome other nations to join its talks with European negotiators.

US President George Bush today warned that “all options are on the table” if Iran refuses to comply with international demands to halt its nuclear programme.

IRAN removed the final seals from equipment at a uranium conversion plant yesterday, as UN inspectors watched, paving the way for Tehran to fully open the facility.

UN nuclear inspectors were installing the last surveillance cameras and preparing to break their seals, enabling Iran to resume full uranium conversion at its nuclear facility today, Iran’s nuclear boss said.

Iran said yesterday that a US military strike against it would be a strategic blunder, but brushed aside tough talk from Washington as psychological warfare rather than a real threat.

Iran will stop building and assembling centrifuges for uranium enrichment this week, the country’s nuclear chief said today after a meeting with the chief UN weapons inspector.

Iran was signing a deal today to open up its nuclear activities to international scrutiny, agreeing to intrusive inspections in a bid to challenge US claims that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.