Iran is reacting sharply to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks that the Persian state is becoming a military dictatorship. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accuses Clinton of spreading "lies" and the United States of turning the region into a so-called "arms depot." But several Washington-based analysts on Iran back Clinton's assertions. Iran's Revolutionary Guard was formed in 1979 to protect the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution from the Shah's army. Now U.S.

Russia is delaying delivery of its S-300 air-defense system to Iran and is also calling for Tehran to adhere to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines for enrichment of nuclear fuel.  The moves follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's two-day visit to Moscow. The Interfax News Agency quotes the deputy director of Russia's Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, Alexander Fomin, as saying delivery of the S-300 air defense system to Iran has been delayed by technical problems.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Tehran will act against any new sanctions and is still open to a uranium swap deal. During a news conference in Tehran Tuesday, Mr.

Voice of America, the BBC and Deutsche Welle have condemned Iranian authorities for what they say is the illegal jamming of their broadcasts to Iran. The international broadcasters released a joint statement Friday accusing Iran of jamming their shared satellite. They said the move violates international agreements and called on satellite operators to pressure Iran to stop. The U.S.

With two days to go before the anniversary celebration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, authorities are slowing the internet and disrupting mobile phone service in what is believed to be an effort to disrupt opposition protests.  A top religious leader is also urging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to release prisoners. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei boasts about the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution on state TV, two days tbefore the official celebration.  Meanwhile, on several Web sites, Iran's opposition is urging supporters to turn out for a "peaceful anti-government pr

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is ready to accept an international proposal that would ease concerns about the country's nuclear program, it would be welcomed news.  But U.S. officials say Iran must communicate its intentions to the International Atomic Energy Agency.  Officials here say they are taking Mr.

A senior Iranian judiciary official says Iran will soon execute nine more convicted rioters for their connections to the unrest that erupted after the country's disputed presidential election in June. The official, Ebrahim Raisi, is quoted by the Fars News agency, as saying the nine, along with two people were who executed last week, were linked to anti-revolutionary groups. Iranian authorities said opposition activists Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were hanged last week.  Their executions were the first of Iranian dissidents since protests erupted over last June's dispu

Iranian media report that two men have been executed, one of whom was put on trial following post-election unrest last year.  But human-rights groups and the man's lawyer say he was in prison before the protests began.  State media announced the executions of the two men early Thursday. The two are identified as Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour.  The semi-official ISNA news service and pro-government sources linked the men with nine others sentenced to death in connection with the unrest that followed the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last year.

Cyber activists in China are throwing their support behind opposition protesters in Iran.