America's allies are increasingly concerned about the Bush administration's plans to unilaterally escalate pressure on Iran, fearing that an evolving strategy may also set in motion a process that could lead to military action if Iran does not back down, according to diplomats and officials of foreign countries.
America needs to respond to real and alleged facets of Iran?s many dangerous behaviors with serious policies, not more theatrics.
A judiciary spokesman said the two were detained while photographing a military complex in Arak, a city where Iran is building a nuclear reactor.
The United States said Wednesday it planned to designate arch enemy Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard a "terrorist" group in a bid to squeeze the vast business network of the Islamic republic's elite military wing.
A Belgian woman kidnapped with her partner by bandits in southeast Iran was freed on Wednesday, Belgium's Foreign Ministry said, but it was unable to confirm a report from Iranian media that her partner was also released.
A Bush administration move to blacklist Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group would ratchet up pressure on businesses from construction to oil that the military corps is thought to control, analysts said Wednesday.
The United States may soon name Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist group, said U.S. officials on Wednesday, reflecting frustration over Tehran's nuclear program and suspected role in Iraqi violence.
A White House spokeswoman today deflected questions about the designation for Iran?s Revolutionary Guard.
Bandits who abducted two Belgians travelling in a notoriously dangerous area in southeastern Iran have released the female captive but are still holding the man hostage, security forces said on Wednesday.
The Bush administration's move to blacklist Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "terrorist" organization is a new salvo in a broader effort to choke off funding to Iranian elements accused of developing nuclear weapons and fomenting violence in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East.