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Tuesday, February 23, 2010 TEHRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Tuesday Iran would "cut off the hands" of anyone who attacked the country. "No power can harm Iran ... The Iranian nation will chop off the hands from the arm of any attacker from any part of the world," Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech in eastern Khorasan-e Jonubi province. The United States and its allies are seeking to intensify U.N. sanctions on Iran over the country's disputed nuclear programme, which the West fears is intended to build nuclear weapons. Iran has denied this. Iran has repeatedly condemned the military presence of the U.S. and its allies in neighbouring countries. Washington and Israel do not rule out military action against Iran over the nuclear issue.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009 TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday there was no need to hold talks with the West over the country's disputed nuclear activities."Iran's nuclear issue has been resolved ... We will hold no talks (with major powers) over this issue. There is no need for talks," Ahmadinejad told state television.

Monday, October 12, 2009 TEHRAN: The president of Iran says failure of upcoming nuclear talks would hurt the West more than Iran.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says October 19th conference in Vienna will be a test for additional "fruitful" work on the issue of Iran's nuclear program.Western nations are continuing to urge Iran to curtail any nuclear efforts toward weaponry.Sanctions have already been imposed on Iran, and there's talk of stiffer measures if Tehran doesn't abandon disputed elements of its nuclear program.Iran has insisted its nuclear efforts are geared solely toward energy production.

NEW YORK: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brushed off Western criticism Friday over a newly revealed nuclear enrichment plant, saying it was "perfectly legal."Iran had informed the IAEA international nuclear watchdog about the plant's existence and "should be encouraged for that. It was perfectly legal," he said at a press conference in New York. Denying that the revelation had plunged relations between Iran and Western powers into crisis, Ahmadinejad said he was "very hopeful" about talks with the IAEA in Geneva on October 1.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad renewed a demand on Tuesday that US-led foreign troops operating in the neighbouring countries of Iraq and Afghanistan leave the region.

TEHRAN: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in as Iranian president on Wednesday as riot police broke up an opposition protest over an election that triggered the worst turmoil in the Islamic republic's history. The 52-year-old Ahmadinejad took the oath of office for another four-year term at a ceremony in parliament, defiantly vowing to resist "oppressive powers" and saying his June election marked a major change in Iran. But prominent opposition leaders were absent from the ceremony, and outside riot police and Basij volunteer Islamic militiamen used pepper gas against demonstrators who claim his landslide victory was fraudulent, witnesses said. Wednesday's ceremony was attended by about 240 of Iran's 290 MPs as well as clerics, but prominent opposition leaders including Ahmadinejad's main defeated challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi were absent, as was powerful cleric and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. After taking the oath, Ahmadinejad has a two-week dea...

Wednesday, August 05, 2009 TEHRAN: Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be sworn in on Wednesday for a second term as Iranian president in a ceremony likely to be snubbed by opposition leaders who claim he was fraudulently re-elected. The 52-year-old Ahmadinejad will formally take the oath of office before parliament, top military officials and foreign diplomats. The White House on Tuesday acknowledged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the "elected" president of Iran, but said it had no plans to congratulate the firebrand leader on his impending inauguration. Ahmadinejad was approved at a ceremony on Monday for a second four-year term by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who described him as "courageous, astute and hardworking." His victory in the June 12 elections set off the worst turmoil in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with deadly street protests, a raft of political trials and increasing divisions among the ruling elite.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009 WASHINGTON: The White House on Tuesday acknowledged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the "elected" president of Iran, but said it had no plans to congratulate the firebrand leader on his impending inauguration.On the eve of Ahmadinejad's swearing-in, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs stopped short of declaring him the "legitimate" president following the political turmoil unleashed by his disputed reelection in June."He's the elected leader," Gibbs said.Earlier, Gibbs was asked whether the United States would make any gesture of congratulations to mark the moment on Wednesday when Ahmadinejad takes the oath of office before parliament, military officials and some foreign diplomats."I don't have any reason to believe that we will send any letters," Gibbs said.The United States has no diplomatic relations with Iran and its interests in the country are represented by the Swiss embassy.Throughout the fierce political tu...