Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Saturday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been making "good progress" to solve Iran's nuclear crisis.

    "Good progress" has been made in finishing the outstanding issues on Iran's controversial nuclear programs, ElBaradei told a group of high-profile diplomats at a key security conference in the southern German city of Munich.

    ElBaradei is expected to issue a report around Feb. 20 on IAEA's inquiry into Iran's nuclear activities.

    The UN nuclear chief urged western nations to start direct negotiations with Iran, instead of using sanctions and military threats, to solve the crisis.

    "Confidence building can only be attained by direct negotiations," ElBaradei said.

    Some countries, including the United States, has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, which has been repeatedly denied by Tehran.

    Meanwhile, the world's major countries are mulling a third sanction resolution against Iran after the UN Security Council adopted two resolutions -- one in December 2006 and the other in March 2007 --to force Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment, a potential way to nuclear weapons.

    Iran has defied the possible new sanctions, saying Tehran would show "serious and logical reaction" if the Security Council issued a third resolution.

    The three-day security meeting, which kicked off on Friday, is scheduled to discuss a range of the world's most thorny issues.

    The annual conference was attended by high-profile diplomats including NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana this year.

General: Iran ready to teach U.S. lesson

    TEHRAN, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi has said that his country's armed forces are ready to teach the United States a lesson if it crosses the line, Iran's state-run Press TV channel reported on Saturday.

    "America's enmity towards Iran stems from the fact that they know Iran's revolutionary ideology is against their quest for domination," Firouzabadi was quoted as saying in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad. Full story

Official: U.S., Iran to hold talks over Iraq next week

    BAGHDAD, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Iran will hold a new round of talks over the Iraqi issue in Baghdad next week, an Iraqi Foreign Ministry official said on Saturday.

    "We are working on a new round of talks between the two sides and we expect that the meeting would be held next week," the official said on condition of anonymity, without providing a specific date. Full story

Ambassador: Iran's rocket test not for military purposes

A rocket takes off at from an unidentified location in Iran in this video grab from Feb. 4, 2008.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    MOSCOW, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran has no military purposes with its recent rocket test launch, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Gholamreza Ansari said here on Friday.

    "We do not pursue military goals within our space research," the diplomat said. Full story

Iran launches 1st space research center

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2nd L) counts down to the launch of a rocket being tested to carry an Iranian satellite into space, from the control centre for Iran's space programme near Tehran Feb. 4, 2008.   (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    TEHRAN, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran launched its first home-built space research center on Monday in Tehran in presence of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the official IRNA news agency reported.

    "The launch of the first space research unit would be great stride to serve the mankind and would lead to Iran's exaltation and progress," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. Full story