Iran
23 December 2008 The Human Rights Situation in Iran The U.S. condemns the closing of the Center for the Defense of Human Rights and urges Iranian authorities to allow this and similar civil society organizations to operate free of oppression. Moreover, authorities briefly detained Ms. Ebadi, a renowned human rights defender and both the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in its 102 year-old history. The U.S. is also deeply concerned by the continued detention of internationally known Iranian HIV/AIDS physicians Dr. Arash Alaei and Dr. Kamiar Alaei.
17 December 2008 Arab States Share International Concerns About Nuclear Iran Iran's neighbors share the international community's growing concerns about the country’s controversial nuclear ambitions, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who added that Tehran's refusal to join negotiations continues to deepen Iran's isolation.
29 October 2008 United Nations Urges Transparency from Iran's Nuclear Program If Iran's controversial nuclear program is as peaceful as claimed, the United Nations' top nuclear guardian asks, why does Tehran refuse to answer questions about possible undeclared nuclear materials and alleged research into nuclear weapons design?
30 September 2008 Recent U.S. Actions to Halt Iran's Procurement Practices for Attempted Acquisition of WMD-Related Items A fact Sheet from the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, U.S. Department of State.
29 September 2008 U.N. Security Council Calls on Iran to Comply on Nuclear Program It is unacceptable for Iran to defy the United Nations over its controversial nuclear weapons development program, says U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad. Khalilzad said that a resolution adopted unanimously by the U.N. Security Council calls for Iran to comply with three previous resolutions and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
12 August 2008 Treasury Designation of Iranian Entities for Proliferation Activities Today, the Department of the Treasury designated under Executive Order 13382 five Iranian entities of proliferation concern. Today’s designations, listed below, follow last week’s action by the European Union to tighten its sanctions against Iran for defying the international community’s calls to abandon its nuclear program.
24 July 2008 Sports Exchanges with Iran Build Bridges Sports exchanges are one tool to help rebuild bridges between U.S. and Iranian societies after 30 years of estrangement, said Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns at a July 9 House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on U.S. relations with Iran.
22 July 2008 Rice Says Iran Has Not Been Serious in Nuclear Talks The U.S. and five other world powers have shown they are serious that Iranian leaders must decide whether to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment program, which could be used in manufacturing nuclear weapons, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "And I think it's also very clear that there are going to be consequences if they don’t," Rice says. According to Rice, the current strategy is to get the Iranian regime to stop uranium enrichment and to accept a package of incentives. If the regime does not stop, she says, there is enough agreement among the six countries to bring additional sanctions through the U.N. Security Council.
21 July 2008 Remarks by Secretary Rice En Route Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Secretary Rice discussed recent developments in the diplomatic process concerning Iran.
09 July 2008 U.S. Policy Toward Iran Statement by William J. Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
09 July 2008 U.S. Officials React to Iranian Missile Test
17 June 2008 Statement, Letter by P5+1 Partners on New Incentives Package for Iran The text of the updated incentives package presented to Iran by the P5+1 partners (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russian Federation, China, the United States and European Union) on possible areas of cooperation with Iran.
10 June 2008 Bush, European Leaders Support Additional Iran Sanctions European leaders at the U.S.-EU Summit in Slovenia have agreed to a proposal to consider expanded sanctions on Iran, including greater restrictions on its banking industry, in an effort to restrain Iran's nuclear development program.
27 May 2008 U.N. Agency Report Critical of Iran's Nuclear Cooperation A new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency about Iran's nuclear development program is an indictment of that nation’s defiance of legitimate efforts to obtain clear information about the program, says a senior U.S. diplomat. The report "details a long list of questions that Iran has failed to answer," says U.S. Ambassador Gregory Schulte in Vienna, Austria.
25 April 2008 Defense Briefing by JCS Chairman Mullen on Iran, Syria.
21 April 2008 U.S., Allies Want Iran to Abandon Nuclear Weapons Research From its location at the crossroads of the Middle East and South Asia, Iran could threaten three continents and eventually the U.S. in the next decade if it had nuclear weapons, says a senior U.S. diplomat. However, its greatest threat is to moderate states within the region.
14 March 2008 Statement on Iranian Parliamentary Elections "We support the right of the Iranian people to choose their own government through a free, fair, and transparent election process. We urge Iran's leaders to end interference in future elections, including the 2009 presidential elections, increase the transparency of their elections by allowing independent monitors, and protect the rights of Iran’s citizens to freedom of expression, press, and association. "
03 March 2008 U.N. Security Council Approves Third Round of Iran Sanctions The near-unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to impose a third set of economic sanctions on Iran illustrates that the council will take action when a nation violates its international obligations, says a senior U.S. official.
03 March 2008 Remarks by Ambassador Khalilzad on U.N. Resolution Sanctioning Iran
29 February 2008 Ambassador Greg Schulte Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the UN in Vienna speaks at the U.S. Embassy in London on Iran's Nuclear Program.
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28 February 2008 Inroads Made in Thwarting Iran's Weapons Programs The U.S. government, following a twofold strategy of using domestic authorities and international outreach, has made important advances in thwarting Iran's nuclear and missile programs, according to a Treasury Department official.
07 January 2008 Admiral Details Iranian Challenge to U.S. ships Talks about the encounter in the Strait of Hormuz, and the mid-air collision between two F-18 Super Hornets operating off the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the northern Arabian Gulf.
04 December 2007 Press Conference by the President
Among the topics discussed by the President Bush was the recent National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear program. The president said "... the NIE provides an opportunity for us to rally the international community -- continue to rally the community to pressure the Iranian regime to suspend its program."
03 December 2007 Press Briefing by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley
• Statement by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley
• National Intelligence Estimate Key Judgments: Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities (PDF, 9 pages)
16 November 2007 Report Strengthens Argument for More Iran Sanctions, U.S. Says Iran’s latest revelations to the International Atomic Energy Agency about its controversial nuclear program raise more questions than answers, U.S. officials say. The new IAEA report bolsters growing international support for a third round of sanctions to force Tehran to negotiate.
09 November 2007 Iran's Nuclear Program Focus of European Leaders' U.S. Visits Growing international concern over Iran's controversial nuclear program is likely to dominate the agenda as German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, as it did for French President Nicolas Sarkozy's first official visit to Washington earlier in the week.
06 November 2007 Iran Must Disclose Its Nuclear Activities The European Union, Russia, China and the United States recently reaffirmed a two-track approach to curbing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions and are offering negotiations conditioned on Iran’s suspension of enrichment and reprocessing activities.
25 October 2007 United States Sets Sanctions Against Iranian Revolutionary Guard Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the target of a new set of U.S. sanctions against its support for international terrorism and role in proliferating weapons of mass destruction.
25 October 2007 Sec. Rice Remarks with Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson "...the United States and our partners are fully committed to a diplomatic solution with Iran. If the Iranian Government fulfills its international obligation to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, I will join my British, French, Russian, Chinese, and German colleagues and I will meet with my Iranian counterpart anytime, anywhere. We will be open to the discussion of any issue."
28 August 2007 Bush at American Legion Convention in Reno, Nevada Remarks by the President to the 89th Annual National Convention of the American Legion.
28 August 2007 Defeating Extremists in the Middle East Essential to U.S. Security President Bush explains why winning the fight in Iraq is the key to countering the ambitions of Al Qaeda and Iran.
21 August 2007 World Community Condemns Iran’s Intolerance of Free Press The sentencing to death of two Iranian journalists is another example of what is viewed as the Iranian regime’s "intolerance" for the expression of independent views. A number of global human rights groups have joined the U.S. State Department’s condemnation of the Iranian government for handing out the death sentences to journalists Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed Butimar.
24 July 2007 Iran Should Reconcile Actions with Talk, U.S. Iraq Envoy Says The U.S. would welcome Iran’s bringing its practices in line with its stated policy of supporting a stable and democratic Iraq, said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker.
The ambassador spoke to journalists in Baghdad, Iraq, shortly after a trilateral meeting to discuss Iraq’s security with the Iranian envoy to Iraq and senior Iraqi officials.
17 July 2007 Talks with Iran over Iraqi Security Appropriate, U.S. Says The Bush administration says it is "appropriate" for the U.S. and Iran to hold a second round of direct talks over the situation in Iraq, but said no date for such a meeting has been set.
03 July 2007 Iran Training Iraqi Insurgent Groups, General Says An elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard with ties to Hezbollah is training, funding and arming insurgents in Iraq to attack coalition and Iraqi forces and conduct other missions, says a senior U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Iraq.
02 July 2007 Government Mismanagement Responsible for Iranian Fuel Rationing The Iranian government’s decision to ration fuel for private vehicles is a result of its mismanagement of Iran’s economy, a senior State Department official said. Spokesman Sean McCormack said the Iranian government "doesn't really have the expertise to properly manage the Iranian economy."
11 June 2007 Iran Moving Forward To Master Uranium Enrichment Capability A U.S. government official who is highly knowledgeable about Iranian nuclear issues says Iran is moving ahead to try and master the uranium enrichment process, a capability that could enable it to have a nuclear weapon sometime between 2010 and 2015.
04 June 2007 New Report Tracks Countries Investing in, Trading with Iran Despite a risky political environment and the threat of new U.N. sanctions over its nuclear activities, Iran continues to attract investors, according to a new online report on investments in the Islamic republic.
28 May 2007 Iran Must Halt Support for Militant Groups in Iraq, U.S. Says Iraqi, Iranian and U.S. officials found "broad agreement" on overall policy and principles regarding "support for a secure, stable, democratic, federal Iraq, in control of its own security, at peace with its neighbors, "Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, said following a meeting of all three parties May 28 in Baghdad, Iraq.
23 May 2007 New Report Casts More Doubt on Iran’s Claims of Peaceful Program The most recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran’s nuclear activities fuels doubts over Iran’s claims that the program is peaceful and shows the country’s leaders continue to refuse to cooperate with the international community, the U.S. ambassador to the agency said.
15 May 2007 U.S. Committed to Resolving Iran Nuclear Dispute U.N. inspectors have reported that Iran's nuclear program may be further along than previously thought and White House spokesman Tony Snow says the international community remains united in its commitment to pressure Iran to suspend its nuclear program and resume negotiations.
14 May 2007 United States, Iran Agree To Hold Talks on Iraq Following on a brief exchange between U.S. and Iranian officials at the Iraq Neighbors’ Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Washington and Tehran have agreed to engage in ambassadorial-level discussions about the situation in Iraq.
11 May 2007 International Businesses Increasingly Shun Iran, U.S. Official Says Targeted economic sanctions against Iran for pursuing nuclear and missile programs are showing results as the international community begins to grasp the risks of dealing with Iranian companies, according to a U.S. Treasury official.
10 May 2007 State’s Burns Warns Iran Faces Additional U.N. Sanctions If Iran fails to meet the demands of the U.N. Security Council to suspend its uranium enrichment program in the coming month, the council will be forced to consider a more stringent sanctions resolution, according to a senior State Department official.
29 April 2007 Halt Flow of Arms and Foreign Fighters to Iraq, Rice Tells Iran The most positive steps Iran could take to enhance Iraqi security would be to halt the flow of explosives and foreign fighters across Iraq's border and to stop supporting armed militia groups that are "killing innocent Iraqi citizens," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says.
18 April 2007 Iranian-Made Weapons Seized in Afghanistan U.S. forces in Afghanistan have intercepted a shipment of Iranian-made weapons and explosives intended for the Taliban, raising new concerns in Washington as NATO forces begin a new spring offensive, U.S. officials say.
09 April 2007 Iran’s Nuclear Expansion Marks "Another Missed Opportunity" Iran’s defiance of the international community by expanding its uranium enrichment is depriving that nation of current and future global trade and investment opportunities, the Bush administration said.
03 April 2007 U.S. Mission in Iraq Must Succeed, Says Bush President Bush pledged continued support for the Iraqi people as they struggle to stabilize their country. At a White House briefing, Bush discussed the Iraq security plan, Iran's nuclear program and the plight of 15 British sailors and marines being held by Iran.
02 April 2007 Nuclear Program Hurting Iran’s Economy, IMF Says The international community’s confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program already has affected the Iranian economy adversely and could threaten investment and growth further if the crisis escalates, according to the International Monetary Fund.
30 March 2007 U.S. Seeks To Engage the Iranian People After 25 years of holding each other at arm’s length, the U.S. is seeking to engage the people of Iran in direct exchanges with the hope of building stronger ties and greater understanding between Iranians and Americans, says Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns.
28 March 2007 Iran Should Release British Sailors Unconditionally, U.S. Says The Bush administration is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the 15 British sailors captured by Iran and says the sailors had been engaged in lawful activities in Iraqi territorial waters at the time they were seized.
27 March 2007 U.S. Sees Broadening of International Concern over Iran The expanded scope of sanctions against Iran in a recent U.N. Security Council resolution highlights the council’s dual concerns about Iran – a concern with Iran’s defiance of international demands that it suspend its uranium enrichment program and a broader apprehension about Iran as a threat to international security, according to a senior U.S. official.
24 March 2007 U.N. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran The Security Council unanimously voted to increase sanctions on Iran for its failure to suspend its uranium enrichment activities, leaving the country increasingly isolated for its defiance of the international community.
25 March 2007 New Sanctions a "Significant Rebuke" to Iran, State's Burns Says The unanimous Security Council vote to impose new, substantial sanctions on Iran is "a significant international rebuke" and represents a tightening of international pressure on the country for its failure to suspend its uranium enrichment program and begin negotiations, a senior U.S. official says.
22 March 2007 U.S. Seeks To Limit Iranian Economic, Diplomatic Capabilities The U.S. sees Iran’s hand at work in the four primary crises troubling the Middle East currently and is determined to limit Tehran’s ability to play a negative role in the region, says a State Department official.
10 March 2007 U.S. Prepared to Work with All Iraq's Neighbors, Envoy Says U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad confirmed the United States' willingness to work with any nation that supports the goal of a secure, stable and democratic Iraq during the March 10 Iraq Neighbors Conference in Baghdad. The conference brought together representatives from all of Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria.
07 March 2007 State’s Burns Reports Progress on New Iran Sanctions Diplomats representing the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany have conferred several times over the past week on a new round of sanctions aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear program and have agreed that a new Chapter 7 resolution is in order, according to U.S. Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns.
02 March 2007 Agreement Near on Second U.N. Resolution on Iran, U.S. Says The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany (collectively known as the P5+1), which have been coordinating a response to Iran’s nuclear program, could begin drafting the text of a new resolution as soon as the week of March 5.
28 February 2007 U.S. Supports Involving Iran, Syria in Iraq Regional Meeting The United States supports and will participate in the Iraqi government’s initiative to invite Iran and Syria to a regional conference, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during a congressional hearing February 27 to discuss emergency funding for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
27 February 2007 Secretary Rice's Statement on Iraq Meetings The government of Iraq is preparing for an expanded neighbors' meeting, first at the sub-ministerial level, that will take place in Baghdad in the first half of March. Invitees will include Iraq's immediate neighbors, as well as representatives from other regional states, multilateral organizations, and the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
25 February 2007 Iran's Nuclear Policies Leading to Greater Isolation, Rice Says By refusing to suspend its nuclear enrichment and reprocessing activities, Iran is continuing to isolate itself from the international community, according to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
23 February 2007 U.S. Embassy official at Frontline Club: U.S. pursuing diplomacy on Iran
22 February 2007 U.S. Discussing Next Steps on Iranian Nuclear Program A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency makes clear that Iran still has not complied with U.N. Security Council demands to stop enriching uranium, and efforts are under way to develop an international response, U.S. officials say.
22 February 2007 Proposed Missile Defenses in Europe Would Target Iranian Threat A senior State Department official says a plan to deploy elements of a limited missile defense system in Central Europe is not meant to upset a cooperative relationship between the U.S. and Russia.
14 February 2007 Bush Says Iranian Group “Certainly” Providing Weapons in Iraq President Bush said Iran’s al-Quds Force, a branch of the country’s Revolutionary Guards, is "certainly" providing weapons to groups in Iraq that are targeting coalition forces and said the United States "will deal" with networks and agents involved in their movement and deployment.
07 February 2007 U.S. Envoy Urges Sustained Nonmilitary Campaign Against Irann European countries should join the United States in a nonmilitary campaign aimed at pressuring the Iranian government to turn away from its nuclear ambitions, the U.S. representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency says.
01 February 2007 United States Warns Iran to Stop Arming Iraqi Militias Iran must stop arming Iraq’s Shiite insurgents, says Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns.
31 January 2007
State Department Concerned over Iran’s Treatment of Minorities The Bush administration joined international human rights groups in expressing concern over the Iranian government’s treatment of ethnic and religious minority groups, highlighted by the case of Abbas Lisani, an incarcerated advocate of Azerbaijani rights who is currently on a hunger strike and being held in solitary confinement.
10 January 2007 Foreign Investors Reassessing Their Involvement with Iran The State Department says U.N. sanctions imposed on Iran under Resolution 1737 are having an impact upon foreign investment in the country and repeats calls for Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment activities “as a first minimum step” to move toward dialogue and away from confrontation with the international community.
09 January 2007 U.S. Designates Iranian Bank as Weapons Proliferator The U.S. Treasury Department has designated an Iranian state-owned bank as a supporter of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and urged other countries to consider similar actions aimed at blocking Iran’s illegal nuclear and missiles programs.
09 January 2007 U.S. Envoy Calls on U.N. States To Enforce Iran Sanctions The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. office in Vienna, Austria, Gregory Schulte, is calling on U.N. members to implement the Security Council’s agreed upon sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program and to stand prepared to adopt additional measures if Iran continues to defy the international community’s demands.
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Iran