FAS | News | Iran |||| Index | Search |

2000 Iran Special Weapons News

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

December

• State Department Noon Briefing - Russia/Iran Cooperation, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 28 December 2000 -- Q: You mentioned that both the President and the Secretary had spoken with their Russian counterparts over the last couple days, but I'm wondering, did they also discuss the visit of Defense Minister Sergeyev to Iran and his - and also - well, I don't know if it happened, if they called before this happened, but this morning Sergeyev and his Iranian counterpart announced a brand new chapter in Russian-Iranian military cooperation.
• Iran - Yearender, Voice of America, 19 December 2000 -- It has been a difficult year for Iran's President Mohammed Khatami and the reform movement he leads.
• U.S. Official on U.S. Relations with Iran, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 12 December 2000 -- Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Richard Roth said the United States has taken "calibrated and minimalist steps in response to clear political and foreign policy changes in Iran."
• MANILOV SAYS U.S. THREATS OVER IRAN ARMS SALES 'UNACCEPTABLE.', RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 4, No. 237, Part I, 8 December 2000 -- First deputy head of the General Staff Colonel General Valerii Manilov told Interfax on 7 December that U.S. threats to impose sanctions on Moscow if it goes ahead with conventional weapons sales to Iran are "unacceptable."
• Defense Minister: Russia Complying With Law Over Cooperation With Iran., RFE/RL Newsline Vol. 4, No. 236, Part I, 7 December 2000 -- Meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen in Brussels on 6 December, Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeev commented that Russia is not violating any international treaties or laws by pursuing "military-technical cooperation" with Iran
• State Department Noon Briefing - Iran, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 07 December 2000 -- Q: The Deputy Oil Minister from Iran says he expects progress in US-Iranian relations for a variety of reasons, mostly having to do with business interests of American oil companies. Do you have anything to say about that?
• Iran Students, Voice of America, 06 December 2000 -- Thousands of students in Iran chanted slogans against conservative leaders and voiced support for President Mohammed Khatami, during an appearance by the reformist president Wednesday to mark Iran's students day.
• U.S. To Try To Change Moscow's Mind Over Arms Sales To Iran, RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 234, Part I, 5 December 2000 -- A U.S. delegation headed by John Barker, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Nonproliferation Affairs, is due to arrive in Moscow later this week in a bid to persuade Russia to stick to a 1995 pledge not to sell weapons to Iran.

  November

• Defense Minister Might Visit Iran This Month...While Emergencies Minister To Be In Baghdad In March?, RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 232, Part I, 1 December 2000 -- Iran, he said, is a "reliable partner" with whom Russia is ready to "develop mutually advantageous military and technical cooperation."
• Iran Places Order For Second Nuclear Reactor...As Russia, India, Iran To Forge Common Position On Taliban, RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 232, Part I, 1 December 2000 -- Iran has asked Russia to build a second nuclear reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
• The Russian Revival, RFE/RL Iran Report, Vol. 3, No. 46, 4 December 2000 -- President Mohammad Khatami is expected to visit Russia during the first half of 2001, unidentified diplomatic sources in Moscow told Interfax on 25 November, in order to give "new impetus to bilateral cooperation in different spheres." This cooperation could be in at least three areas: conventional arms, nuclear power, or regional security.
• Russia - U-S - Iran, Voice of America, 28 November 2000 -- Officials from the United States and Russia are to meet next week in Moscow to discuss Washington's concerns over a possible resumption of Russian weapons sales to Iran.
• Russia/US/Iran, Voice of America, 28 November 2000 -- An American delegation of arms experts will travel to Russia next week to discuss Washington's concerns over Russia's plan to resume selling weapons to Iran.
• Russia To Revive Military Cooperation, Arms Sales With Iran...As Russia Rejects U.S. Ultimatums, RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 228, Part I, 27 November 2000 -- Following an article in the "The Washington Post" on 22 November, a number of Russian newspapers reported on 24 November that a few days before the U.S. presidential election on 7 November, Russia informed Washington that on 1 December 2000, Russia will withdraw from its earlier commitment not to supply Iran with conventional arms.
• Russia / Iran, Voice of America, 23 November 2000 -- Russia is planning to resume military cooperation with Iran, and is backing out of a 1995 agreement with the United States that was aimed at ending Russian arms sales to Iran and other so-called "rogue" states.
• Letter From The President - Iran, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 09 November 2000 -- "Because our relations with Iran have not yet returned to normal...I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Iran for 1 year."
• Order In The East, RFE/RL Iran Report, Vol. 3, No. 42, 6 November 2000 -- October events in northeastern Khorasan Province -- bombings, kidnappings, and assorted mayhem - and in southeastern Sistan va Baluchistan Province - bombings with a possible sectarian linkage - call into question the Iranian government's frequent claims about stability and unity across the country.
• Emergency In Khuzestan, RFE/RL Iran Report, Vol. 3, No. 42, 6 November 2000 -- "The war in Abadan and Khorramshahr has not ended," Abadan Friday Prayer leader Hojatoleslam Qolam Hussein Jami said, adding that "we say there is still a state of emergency in Abadan and Khorramshahr."
• 'Campaign Against Global Arrogance', RFE/RL Iran Report, Vol. 3, No. 42, 6 November 2000 -- Iranians commemorated the 21st anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on 3 November this year.
• When It's Better Not To Say Anything, RFE/RL Iran Report, Vol. 3, No. 42, 6 November 2000 -- Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono expressed concern about the similarity between Iran's ballistic missiles and North Korea's Scud-C and Nodong-1 missiles in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Kamal Kharrazi.
• Iran Trial, Voice of America, 06 November 2000 -- In Iran, the Justice Department of Tehran has filed charges of subversion against four Iranians and a German citizen living in Germany.

  October

• Iran / Political, Voice of America, 26 October 2000 -- It has been four years since Mohamed Khatami was elected president in Iran on a platform that promised to reform - politically, economically and socially - the Iranian revolution.
• Iran - Social Life, Voice of America, 25 October 2000 -- It has been four years since Mohamed Khatami was elected Iran's president on a platform advocating political, economic and social reform in the Iranian revolution. Six months from now there will be new presidential elections and President Khatami is expected to be re-elected. But many Iranians are frustrated over the slow pace of reform, and some young people are pushing for change at the street level.
• Russia's Ivanov In Tehran Amidst Nuclear Deal Uproar , RFE/RL Iran Report, Vol. 3, No. 40, 23 October 2000 -- Russian Federation Security Council Secretary Sergei Ivanov arrived in Tehran on 17 October to participate in discussions regarding Central Asian security and terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
• SENATE / IRAN MISSILES, Voice of America, 05 October 2000 -- The Clinton administration says Russian technology is still flowing to Iran's missile program, despite the threat of U-S sanctions.

  September

• Scholars Call for Roadmap in U.S.-Iranian Relations, USIS Washington File, 29 September 2000 -- Agreeing that U.S. policy has succeeded in disrupting Iran's search for capacity in weapons of mass destruction, three American scholars called for new thinking and a roadmap for more positive outreach.
• State Department Noon Briefing, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 20 September 2000 -- Q: Can you confirm that the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mr. Kharazi, was allowed to travel inside the US territory, outside the UN perimeter in New York, to attend a conference in L.A. today and in Boston a few days ago?
• U-S/IRAN, Voice of America, 15 September 2000 -- The United States and Iran have held their highest level encounter since diplomatic relations between both countries were broken 20 years ago.
• IRAN CLASHES REPORT, Voice of America, 14 September 2000 -- In Iran, a judicial investigation of last month's unrest in the western city of Khorramabad blames the violence on students and an ally of President Mohammed Khatami.

August

• IRAN UNREST, Voice of America, 30 August 2000 -- In Iran, reformist and conservative leaders are condemning recent violence in the western city of Khorramabad in which a policeman was killed and dozens of people were wounded, including the provincial governor.
• IRAN UNREST, Voice of America, 28 August 2000 -- An Iranian opposition group based in Iraq has fired mortar shells at a former military base in Tehran.
• IRAN PARLIAMENT, Voice of America, 07 August 2000 -- Iran's conservatives are turning up the heat on their embattled reformist rivals, with the arrest of another journalist and calls to oust several lawmakers from parliament.
• IRAN/PRESS, Voice of America, 06 August 2000 -- Iran's supreme leader dealt a stunning blow to the new reformist parliament by ruling that its hopes to ease press restrictions are unlawful.
• IRAN/ARREST, Voice of America, 05 August 2000 -- Iranian police have arrested a prominent pro- reform cleric, hours after he returned to Tehran from Paris.

July

• DoD News Briefing - Iranian Missile Test, U.S. Department of Defense, 18 July 2000 -- Q: Over the weekend, while you were on the trip, the Iranians successfully tested, apparently, a Shahab-3 missile. I just wanted to get your reaction to what this says about the state of their program, and any information about what countries you think are assisting Iran in their missile program.
• DoD News Briefing - Iranian Missile Test, U.S. Department of Defense, 17 July 2000 -- Q: Bill Gertz, Washington Times. I'd like to ask the minister if he could comment on what his defense priorities are in terms of hardware: new ships, aircraft, ground forces, all of the above, and if Mr. Cohen could comment afterwards on the Iranian missile test -- how it fits in with missile defense issues?
• ISRAEL/IRAN MISSILE, Voice of America, 16 July 2000 -- Israel has warned that Iran's successful testing of a medium-range ballistic missile will accelerate a deadly arms race in the Middle East.
• IRAN/BOMB REACT, Voice of America, 16 July 2000 -- A spokesman for the Iranian guerrilla group, Mujahadeen Khalq, has claimed responsibility for mortar attacks on the Intelligence Ministry in Tehran.
• Iran successfully test-fires Shahab 3 missile, IRNA, 15 July 2000 -- Ministry of Defense successfully test-fired the Shahab 3 missile for the second time on Saturday morning, an informed source at the Defense Ministry said here Saturday.
• IRAN / RIOT VERDICT, Voice of America, 11 July 2000 -- An Iranian court has acquitted Tehran's former police chief and 17-associates of any wrongdoing in the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations last year in the Iranian Capital.
• GERMANY / IRAN, Voice of America, 10 July 2000 -- Thousands of protesters gathered in the center of Berlin to demonstrate against the visit of Iran's President Mohammad Khatami.
• IRAN / GERMANY, Voice of America, 10 July 2000 -- Iranian President Mohammed Khatami has bitterly criticized opposition demonstrators who have dogged his visit to Berlin.
• IRAN JEWS-DEMONSTRATION, Voice of America, 10 July 2000 -- Several hundred people rallied outside United Nations headquarters today (Monday) in support of the 10 Iranian Jews recently convicted of spying for Israel.
• U-S PRESS HITS IRANIAN SPY TRIAL OF JEWS Voice of America 07 July 2000 -- Daily newspapers throughout the United States are reacting angrily to the guilty verdict handed down by a court in Iran to ten of 13 Iranian Jews accused of spying for Israel.
• CLINTON - IRANIAN JEWS Voice of America 05 July 2000 -- President Clinton has met with family members of 10 Iranian Jews sentenced to prison by Tehran for spying for Israel, and pledged support for effort to appeal the penalties.
• IRAN-JEWS REACT Voice of America 02 July 2000 -- American Jewish leaders are reacting angrily to the conviction and sentencing of 10 Jews in Iran for spying for Israel.
• IRAN TRIAL/REACT Voice of America 02 July 2000 -- Some analysts say international pressure may have produced lighter sentences. Two Iranian Jews convicted of spying in 1997 were hanged.
• ISRAEL / IRAN REACT Voice of America 01 July 2000 -- Israel has condemned Iran for convicting 10 Iranian Jews of spying for the Jewish State.
• IRAN TRIAL VERDICT Voice of America 01 July 2000 -- An Iranian court in the southern city of Shiraz has convicted 10 Iranian Jews of spying for Israel and sentenced them to jail terms ranging from four to 13 years.
• Text: Albright Statement on the Trial of Iranian Jews 01 July 2000 -- I am deeply concerned by the convictions of 10 Iranian Jews today, in a trial process that international human rights groups, the United States and many other nations around the world have recognized as seriously flawed.

  June

• IRAN / FOREIGN RELATIONS Voice of America 23 June 2000 -- Iran this week gained entry into a group of developing nations -- known as the G-15 -- bolstering its links to other markets.
• IRAN PRESS Voice of America 18 June 2000 -- Iran's new reformist parliament is calling for an urgent review of the country's restrictive press law.
• IRAN KHOMEINI TOMB Voice of America 03 June 2000 -- Eleven years after his death, Images of Imam Khomeini's stern, bearded face still stare down on Iranians from all major streets and even in most shops throughout the country.
• Important new Iranian missile test near, U.S. general says CNN June 2, 2000 -- The new test of the "Shahab-3" missile should occur in the next few months. Experts who later examined initial technical data reportedly concluded that the first test was actually successful, according to the Web site of the Federation of American Scientists. Gen.Anthony Zinni, the outgoing U.S. Central Commander, said Iran is anywhere from one to seven years away from developing a nuclear bomb, depending on whether it can acquire certain materials abroad or has to develop its own.

  May

• IRAN / PARLIAMENT Voice of America 30 May 2000 -- The new Iranian parliament has chosen Muslim cleric Mehdi Karroubi as its temporary speaker, a former hard-liner is said to be close to President Mohammed Khatami.
• IRAN/PARLIAMENT Voice of America 27 May 2000 -- Iran's first reformist-dominated parliament in 20 years has convened in Tehran.
• GORE-IRAN-MIDEAST Voice of America 23 May 2000 -- Vice President Al Gore - in an address (Tuesday) to the pro-Israel lobbying group " AIPAC" has condemned Iran's espionage trial of 13 Iranian Jews in Shiraz as a "complete mockery of justice."
• IRAN PARLIAMENT / GUARDIAN COUNCIL Voice of America 23 May 2000 -- Reformists will control Iran's 290-member legislature, the majlis, for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
• IRAN/ELECTIONS Voice of America 20 May 2000 -- Iran's conservative Guardian Council has endorsed the results of February elections in Tehran, certifying a sweep by moderates of 26 out of 30 parliamentary seats.
• TURKEY / IRAN Voice of America 17 May 2000 -- Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has accused Iran of failing to respond to evidence of Iranian involvement in the murders of Turkish pro-secular writers and academics.
• IRAN / SPY TRIAL Voice of America 17 May 2000 -- So far, eight of the 13 Jews on trial have admitted to charges of spying for Israel.
• IRAN / JEWS Voice of America 15 May 2000 -- Eight of the 13 Jews on trial in Iran have now pleaded guilty to charges they spied for Israel.
• IRAN / JEWS / TRIAL Voice of America 10 May 2000 -- The latest session of the trial of 13 Jews accused of spying in Iran concluded with another confession of guilt.
• IRAN / ELECTIONS Voice of America 08 May 2000 -- Iran's official news agency says the country's conservative Council of Guardians will not void parliamentary election results for Tehran.
• IRAN/JEWS Voice of America 08 May 2000 -- Two more Jews have confessed to spying for Israel in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. Five of the 13 Jews on trial have confessed to spying.
• POST-ELECTION IRAN Voice of America 08 May 2000 -- Reformers have won two-thirds of sixty-six parliamentary seats in Iran's runoff elections. That gives them more than two hundred seats out of two hundred ninety.
• Iran: Reformers Win Parliamentary Run-Off, 'Clear Vote But Not Last Word' Issue Focus - Foreign Media Reaction 08 May 2000 -- Iran watchers, noting the clear victory of reformers in Friday's run-off ballot for Iran's parliament--confirming their earlier win in February's general election--concluded that the nation is on the brink of "a social explosion." "Never before...has Iran looked farther from the winter of 1979, when the Shah's escape opened the doors to the Imam's revolution," an Italian daily judged.
• IRAN ELECTION Voice of America 06 May 2000 -- Preliminary results indicate that reformist candidates have swept run-off parliamentary elections in Iran, capturing two-thirds of 66 disputed seats.
• IRAN VOTE / POLL Voice of America 05 May 2000 -- Iranians voted today (Friday) in a second round of parliamentary elections. Reformers were hoping to build on February's landslide victory.
• IRAN / ELECTIONS Voice of America 04 May 2000 -- Iran is holding a second round of elections (today/Friday) to fill 66 of the 290 seats in its new Parliament. Reformers are still short of the two-thirds majority they need to convene the new Parliament.
• IRAN TRIAL Voice of America 03 May 2000 -- Three of the 13 Iranian Jews accused of spying have reportedly admitted they had links with Israel's intelligence agency.
• IRAN / JEWS Voice of America 01 May 2000 -- One of 13 Iranian Jews on trial for espionage has told Iran's state-run television that he did spy for Israel.
• Excerpts: RFE Report on Iran's Press Crackdown 01 May 2000 -- Advocates of a free press around the world are watching developments in Iran as they recognize World Press Freedom Day.

  April

• IRAN CRACKDOWN Voice of America 26 April 2000 -- Iran's Press Court has issued a warning to the brother of President Mohammed Khatami, whose newspaper remains among the few reformist publications to escape a press ban.
• Text: Human Rights Watch Protests Media Crackdown, Detentions in Iran 25 April 2000 -- Human Rights Watch, a prominent rights organization, sent a letter on April 25 to Iran's top judicial authority to condemn "the escalating harassment, intimidation and punishment of the country's independent journalists and publishers."
• IRAN / PRESS CRACKDOWN Voice of America 25 April 2000 -- After closing 14 newspapers and journals in two days, judiciary officials later lifted a ban on the daily Sobh-e-Emruz newspaper late Monday.
• IRAN / CRACKDOWN Voice of America 24 April 2000 -- The Iranian government has suspended 12 reformist publications in its crackdown against the media.
• Text: Letter of Protest to Iranian President 24 April 2000 -- A prominent journalistic organization sent a letter of protest to the supreme leader of Iran in response to the latest crackdown on press freedom in that country.
• IRAN/PRESS CRACKDOWN Voice of America 23 April 2000 -- Iran's conservative-run press court has closed at least three pro-reform and liberal newspapers - as part of a growing crackdown on growing media freedoms under reformist President Mohamad Khatami.
• THE U.S. AND IRAN Voice of America 08 April 2000 -- The recent stunning victory of Islamic reformists in Iran's parliamentary elections has led many to believe that the time is right for a rapprochement between the United States and Iran.

  March

• IRAN / RIGHTS Voice of America 30 March 2000 -- A U-N special investigator says Iran is making significant progress toward a more-fee society.
• IRAN/SHOOTING Voice of America 26 March 2000 -- Iran has arrested more than 10-people in connection with the March 12th assassination attempt on a reformist leader allied to President Mohammed Khatami.
• U-S OFFERS OLIVE BRANCH TO IRAN Voice of America 21 March 2000 -- Reacting to the recent arliamentary elections in Iran in which reformers scored a huge victory over the anti-U-S religious hierarchy, the United States has lifted restrictions on several products from that nation.
• U.S.-IRAN RAPPROCHEMENT: 'WASHINGTON BETS ON THE NEW IRAN' Issue Focus - Foreign Media Reaction 20 March 2000 -- A majority judged though that the U.S. had not abandoned its "caution" toward Tehran in light of Iran's role in supporting international terrorism, its interest in weapons of mass destruction and its opposition to the Middle East peace process. The "road map" to the normalization of relations "contains more speed bumps than green lights,"
• IRAN CONSERVATIVES Voice of America 18 March 2000 -- Washington's decision to lift a ban on certain imports from Iran is sharpening the struggle between conservatives and the reformers there who favor better ties with the United States.
• Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright Press Briefing on American-Iranian Relations, March 17, 2000 -- It's important for us to see some changes in terms of the policies on proliferation, their desire to acquire weapons of mass destruction, their support for terrorism, and their lack of support for the Middle East Peace Process. What is most important is the direction of our relationship -- not necessarily its pace. We're prepared to move ahead, step-by-step, or more rapidly if Iran indicates a desire and a commitment to do so. If all our policies were simply based on past history, we wouldn't be speaking to the United Kingdom.
• "American-Iranian Relations" Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Remarks before the American-Iranian Council - March 17, 2000 -- We took Iranian leaders at their word, that they viewed America as an enemy. And in response we had to treat Iran as a threat. However, after the election of President Khatami in 1997, we began to adjust the lens through which we viewed Iran. Although Iran's objectionable external policies remain fairly constant, the political and social dynamics inside Iran were quite clearly beginning to change. Despite the trend towards democracy, control over the military, judiciary, courts and police remains in unelected hands, and the elements of its foreign policy, about which we are most concerned, have not improved.
• Text: Albright Announces Changes in U.S.-Iran Relations 17 March 2000 -- Saying that the past cannot be allowed to freeze the future, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright announced before the Conference on American-Iranian Relations, on March 17, that the United States of America would ease sanctions on Iran.
• U-S/IRAN SANCTIONS Voice of America 17 March 2000 -- In addition to allowing Americans to purchase Iranian goods ranging from carpets to caviar, the Clinton Administration is expressing regret for some of the darker chapters in U-S relations with Iran over the past half century.
• U-S / IRAN SANCTIONS Voice of America 17 March 2000 -- The United States is easing certain sanctions against Iran in the biggest step Washington has taken yet toward ending two decades of hostility between both countries.
• IRAN REACT / U-S SANCTIONS Voice of America 17 March 2000 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has welcomed Washington's decision (on Friday) to lift economic sanctions on key non-oil goods. The ministry said Tehran would respond by importing U-S grain and medicine.
• US-IRAN Voice of America 16 March 2000 -- U-S officials have suggested that Washington will loosen its sanctions on the import of three key non-oil products: Iranian rugs, caviar and pistachio nuts. The United States has imposed a ban on these imports for the past 13 years.
• U-S - RUSSIA - IRAN Voice of America 14 March 2000 -- President Clinton has signed into law a measure aimed at punishing Russia and other countries if they help Iran acquire weapons of mass destruction.
• U-S-IRAN SANCTIONS Voice of America 14 March 2000 -- The Clinton administration is preparing to ease some trade sanctions against Iran, with the hope of encouraging reform elements in Tehran and opening a dialogue with Iranian authorities.
• Text: President Signs into Law "Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000" 14 March 2000 -- President Clinton March 14 signed into law H.R. 1883, the "Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000." Under the bill, penalties are imposed on countries whose companies provide assistance to Iran in its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile delivery systems.
• Text: President Continues National Emergency with Respect to Iran 13 March 2000 -- The National Emergency of March 15, 1995, was declared to deal with the Government of Iran's support for international terrorism, efforts to undermine the Middle East peace process, and acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them.
• Text: Clinton's Letter to Congress Regarding Iran National Emergency 13 March 2000 -- President Clinton March 13 notified Congress that the national emergency with respect to Iran declared March 15, 1995, is to continue in effect beyond March 15, 2000.
• IRAN SHOOTING Voice of America 13 March 2000 -- Iran's reformist movement has vowed to continue its campaign to open Iranian politics and society, despite the shooting Sunday of one of the architects of its sweeping electoral victory last month.
• CZECH-IRAN-NUCLEAR Voice of America 08 March 2000 -- The Czech parliament has banned the sale of sensitive technology for a nuclear power plant in Iran. The equipment was to be supplied to a nuclear power plant being built in Bushehr.
• THE IRANIAN ELECTIONS Voice of America 04 March 2000 -- Some observers say that President Mohammad Khatami is now in a position to move forward with reforms. But others warn that the key institutions in Iran are still controlled by Iran's rigidly fundamentalist supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
• IRAN / U-S RELATIONS Voice of America 02 March 2000 -- The leader of the reformist alliance that has swept (won) a majority of the seats in parliament, Mohammedreza Khatami, is optimistic about future relations, but still cautious.
• CONGRESS-IRAN Voice of America 01 March 2000 -- The U-S Congress has completed action on a bill that could result in sanctions on nations, companies, or individuals that help Iran develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.

  February

• IRAN-U-S Voice of America 29 February 2000 -- The general who commands all U-S troops in the Middle East says even though Iranian voters have elected a reform-minded majority in parliament, Iran is still the biggest threat facing Americans in the region.
• IRAN STUDENTS Voice of America 28 February 2000 -- Reformers won an overwhelming victory in Iran's recent elections, thanks in large part to the major role students played in the elections.
• IRAN'S NEW LOOK Voice of America 27 February 2000 -- The reformers swamped the conservatives in Iran's recent parliamentary elections. But President Mohammed Khatami cautioned Iran would not change its goals, no matter what other nations may want.
• BIG VICTORY FOR REFORMERS IN IRANIAN ELECTION Voice of America 24 February 2000 -- Reports from Tehran say that after run-off elections in April, the reform movement backing President Khatami could have as much as an 80 percent majority in the legislature.
• SENATE-IRAN Voice of America 24 February 2000 -- With little debate and no disagreement (98 to zero), senators approved what they call a powerful message about transfers of missile parts, technology or expertise.
• IRAN / KADIVAR PROFILE Voice of America 24 February 2000 -- The landslide victory by reformist candidates in Iran's parliamentary election is being called a turning point in Iranian politics. Voters turned out most of the incumbents and elected a legislature that will be dominated by people under 40-years of age.
• AFTER REFORMIST WIN, 'EMBRACING IRAN, BUT NOT TOO EAGERLY' Foreign Media Reaction 23 February 2000 -- A prevailing view, expressed by Ottawa's conservative National Post, suggested that "Western countries should...make clear that they will reward better international behavior with trade and investment on favorable terms--but that they will not give the reward without the reforms." The U.S. was viewed as cautiously watching developments in Iran, awaiting "concrete signals...on the crucial dossiers of terrorism and stability in the Gulf region" before venturing into a rapprochement with its erstwhile enemy.
• U-S-IRAN Voice of America 23 February 2000 -- In the wake of the victory of reform candidates in Iran's parliamentary elections, the Clinton administration is renewing its call for dialogue with Tehran to try to end the two-decades of estrangement.
• SENATE-IRAN Voice of America 22 February 2000 -- The U-S Senate is again taking up the issue of missile technology transfers to Iran from Russia and elsewhere. A proposal designed to stop the transfers could affect the international space station.
• REFORMERS WIN BIG IN IRAN VOTE Voice of America 22 February 2000 -- The votes are still being counted in Iran, but it is clear that reform candidates have won a substantial victory, assuring them of a majority in the Majlis or parliament.
• IRAN REFORMIST PROFILE Voice of America 22 February 2000 -- Official returns from Iran's parliamentary elections show a coalition of reformist candidates winning three-fourths of the seats.
• IRAN ELECTIONS Voice of America 22 February 2000 -- In Iran, the nearly completed count of votes from parliamentary elections confirms that reformists advocating greater freedom in Iran will dominate the next parliament.
• FUTURE US/IRAN RELATIONS Voice of America 22 February 2000 -- The strong showing by reformist candidates in Iran's just-concluded parliamentary elections is being interpreted as a resounding call for greater freedoms after 20 years of strict Islamic rule.
• IRAN ELECTIONS Voice of America 21 February 2000 -- Election officials in Iran say about one-third of the votes have been tallied for the remaining 30 parliamentary seats in the Iranian capital, and reformist candidates are winning most of these races.
• IRANIAN ELECTIONS Voice of America 20 February 2000 -- Although election returns from the populous Tehran district have yet to come in, Iranian observers following the tally say the margin of victory for the reformist coalition appears to be widening.
• IRAN ELECTION Voice of America 19 February 2000 -- In Iran, supporters of President Mohammad Khatami's reformist policies appear headed for a major victory.
• IRANIAN ELECTIONS Voice of America 18 February 2000 -- Huge numbers of Iranians have taken part in elections for a new national parliament.
• IRAN ELECTIONS / VOTERS Voice of America 17 February 2000 -- More than five-thousand candidates affiliated with two dozen political parties and groups are running for the 290 seats.
• IRAN ELECTIONS Voice of America 17 February 2000 -- The centrist coalition led by the Construction Party is likely to wield considerable influence in the next parliament and could become the main power broker.
• Panel Discusses Upcoming Iranian Elections USIA 17 February 2000 -- On the eve of the Majlis or Parliamentary elections in Iran, a panel of scholars on Iran addressed the issue of what the February 18 election will mean to Iranian voters and how it might affect future U.S.- Iranian relations.
• IRAN ELECTION Voice of America 15 February 2000 -- Although the campaign has been short and subdued by most standards, there have been moments of excitement, particularly among young voters.
• IRAN ELECTION OVERNIGHTER Voice of America 15 February 2000 -- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke Tuesday at a mosque in Tehran and advised the people to send a devout person to the parliament to show support for the Islamic system. A good choice, he said, will disappoint America, arrogant powers and Zionist centers.
• CLINTON-IRAN Voice of America 14 February 2000 -- President Clinton has reiterated his hopes for improved U-S relations with Iran, while expressing concern about the fate of 13 Iranian Jews accused of spying for Israel.
• IRAN ELECTIONS Voice of America 11 February 2000 -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have rallied in cities across the country to mark the 21st anniversary of the Iranian revolution
• IRAN/BLASTS Voice of America 06 February 2000 -- Iran's opposition People's Mujahedin says it has stepped up attacks in two provinces in western Iran, following a mortar attack in Tehran that killed one person.

  January

• IRAN PARDON Voice of America 25 January 2000 -- In Iran, the former mayor of Tehran, who was instrumental in the election of Iran's reformist president, has been pardoned after serving nine months of a two-year prison sentence for corruption.
• GERMAN / IRAN Voice of America 20 January 2000 -- A court in Iran has released a German man once sentenced to death for having illegal sex with an Iranian woman.
• C.I.A. Says an Iranian A-Bomb Can't Be Ruled Out By JAMES RISEN WITH JUDITH MILLER The New York Times (17 January 2000) In a sharp departure from its previous assessment of Iran's nuclear capacity, the Central Intelligence Agency has told senior Clinton administration officials that Iran might now be able to make a nuclear weapon. The more ominous evaluation of Iran's nuclear capacity, is apparently not based on evidence that Iran's indigenous efforts to build a bomb have achieved a breakthrough. Rather, it seems to be based on the fact that the United States cannot track with great certainty increased efforts by Iran to acquire nuclear materials and technology. Analysts at other intelligence agencies believe that Iran's efforts to build its own bomb are still moving slowly. They say there is no evidence that Iran has succeeded in building its own weapon, or that it has stolen or acquired enough fissile material to make one.

FAS | News | Iran |||| Index | Search |