Obama: Iran's Post-Election Violence Against Protestors 'Appalling': Via Voice of America.

U.S. President Barack Obama says world leaders meeting at a global summit unanimously condemned what he called the "appalling treatment of peaceful protesters" by Iranian authorities.

Mr. Obama delivered the message Friday, at a news conference following the Group of Eight summit in Italy.

He said some behavior by Iranian authorities violates "basic international norms," including storming embassies and putting restrictions on journalists.

His comments come a day after police clashed with demonstrators who had gathered near Tehran University to mark the 10th anniversary of a student uprising.
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VOA News - Analysts Say Russia's Influence on Iran Very Limited: Via Voice of America.

How to deal with and what to do with Iran's nuclear weapons aspirations is expected to be discussed during the upcoming Moscow summit between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev. Iran's nuclear weapons program is of major concern to the Obama administration.

What is the uranium enrichment plan designed for?

The United States and the European Union believe Iran's uranium enrichment program is designed ultimately to build nuclear arms. Tehran says it only wants to use its enriched uranium for peaceful purposes, such as generating electricity.

In an interview with VOA's "Press Conference USA", former U.S. National Security Adviser (retired Air Force) General Brent Scowcroft said it is essential to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons.

"Because I think if Iran is allowed to develop nuclear weapons, it is not so much that they have a few nuclear weapons, but that the response in the region will be a nuclear response and you will have countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and so on, doing the same thing," said Brent Scowcroft.
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Ahmadinejad slams Obama for "interfering" in Iran : Via AFP on Yahoo! News.

TEHRAN (AFP) – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again slammed US President Barack Obama on Saturday for "interfering" in Iran, as debate over the Iranian president's disputed re-election continued.

Tehran's streets appeared to be quiet after authorities had warned that any further protests would be suppressed.

"He (Obama) who spoke of reforms and changes, why did he interfere and comment in a way that disregards convention and courtesy," Ahmadinejad was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as asking.

On Friday, Obama said Iran's "outrageous" crackdown on demonstrators would hit his hopes for direct talks with Iran.
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Ahmadinejad Lashes Out At Obama, Compares Him To Bush: Via Huffington Post.

Iran's opposition leader pledged Thursday not to withdraw his election challenge despite what he said were attempts to isolate and discredit him, while the declared winner of the vote, hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, accused President Barack Obama of meddling in Iran's affairs.

Obama, along with other Western leaders, has ratcheted up his criticism of Iran's clampdown on postelection protesters in recent days, something Iran has described as foreign interference.

In the latest sign of government attempts to silence dissent, 70 university professors were detained late Wednesday after a meeting with the main opposition figure, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has alleged massive fraud in the June 12 vote.

In recent days, demonstrators challenging the election results have found themselves increasingly struggling under a blanket crackdown by government authorities.
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Foreign Policy: Interview: Mohsen Makhmalbaf ( Mir Hossein Mousavi's external spokesman ) : Via Foreign Policy Magazine.

In an exclusive interview from Paris, Mir Hossein Mousavi's external spokesman describes this week's protests in Iran as another revolution -- and Mousavi as Iran's Obama.

The world has watched in awe this week as protests have continued to rock the streets of Iran. Opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his green-clad supporters are demanding a rerun of last Friday's election -- which they claim was rigged in favor of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Nearly a week after the vote, the conflict has reached fever pitch. At least eight people have reportedly died in protests, and hundreds of demonstrators, organizers, and reformists may have been arrested. The Guardian Council, the powerful 12-member body that oversees Iranian elections, has offered to hold talks with the candidates in hopes of resolving the crisis. But there are signs that the Iranian establishment may be split over what to do.

The international community seems equally perplexed about the best response. U.S. President Barack Obama, for example, has been careful not to be perceived as siding openly with the Mousavi camp, saying he didn't want to be accused of "meddling" in Iran's internal affairs.
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