Iran began counting votes on Saturday that are likely to keep conservatives in control of Parliament after many opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were blocked from standing in the election. The United States, at loggerheads with Iran over its nuclear programme, said any result was ”cooked”.
The 15 British military personnel who had been held by Iran flew out of Tehran for England on Thursday, ending a two-week stand-off that strained already tense relations between Iran and the West. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a news conference broadcast round the world on Wednesday he had decided to forgive and free the 15 sailors.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday he would free 15 British sailors and marines as a ”gift” to Britain. In a dramatic announcement, Ahmadinejad said while he was ”saddened” by Britain’s violation of Iran’s borders and felt the country was not ”brave enough” to admit it made a mistake, he was willing to forgive.
Iran broadcast video on Friday of a captured British sailor who said he and 14 colleagues had entered Iranian waters illegally, ramping up tension over the week-long crisis. British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed disgust at the broadcasting of footage of three of the captives and said Iran risked further isolation unless it released them.
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced defiance on Tuesday as a deadline neared for Iran to halt work the West fears is a step toward building nuclear bombs, and challenged United States President George Bush to a televised debate. ”Peaceful nuclear energy is the right of the Iranian nation,” he told a news conference.
Iran said on Tuesday it is ready to start immediately what it called "serious" talks with six world powers about their offer to defuse Tehran’s nuclear stand-off with the West. Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani delivered Iran’s formal response to the offer at a meeting with foreign envoys from the six world powers in Tehran.
Iran is due to give its reply on Tuesday to a package backed by six world powers that aims to end a nuclear stand-off with the West and Iranian officials say Iran does not accept the key demand to suspend uranium enrichment. Refusing to suspend the work that has both military and civilian uses would be tantamount to rejecting the package of incentives offered in return, Western diplomats say.