Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed while standing next to President Hugo Chavez that Iran and Venezuelawould “stand together until the end” in the face of US “imperialism.”

Ending a tour of Latin American allies, Ahmadinejad praised his “brave brother” Chavez, saying: “Today the people of Venezuela and Iran, friends and brothers in the trench warfare against imperialism, are resisting.

“We’ll stand together until the end,” he yelled, raising Chavez’s hand in front of the television cameras and shouting in Spanish: “Viva Venezuela! Viva Chavez!”

Before arriving in Caracas late Tuesday Ahmadinejad was in Bolivia, where he and President Evo Morales, another close Chavez ally, hailed their own alliance against “imperialism,” meaning the United States.

The Iranian leader’s three-day regional tour has been seen as a clear affront to Washington, a fact illustrated by an unusual letter sent by US President Barack Obama.

After Ahmadinejad’s first stop in Brazil, it emerged that Obama had sent a letter to the regional power urging it to be more critical of theIslamic republic and its suspect nuclear activities.

The letter, written to Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the eve of Ahmadinejad’s visit, outlined Washington’s foreign policy goals and opposition to Iran’s nuclear program.

After receiving the letter on Sunday, Lula went ahead Monday and recognized Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy, although he urged Tehran to seek a peaceful settlement in talks with Western powers.

US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly confirmed Obama’s letter on Wednesday and also urged Venezuela to join world powers in expressing concern over Iran’s pursuit of a “nuclear weapons capability, its support of terrorism, and its human rights record.”

Chavez, long a thorn in the side of Washington, has publicly backed Iran’s right to a peaceful nuclear program and supported the Iranian leader’s disputed re-election in June that led to days of violent protests in Tehran.

He said he had made a “lightning” visit to Cuba on Tuesday, where he met for seven hours with ailing former president Fidel Castro, who told him to deliver a big “hug” to Ahmadinejad on his return to Caracas.

“Fidel told me: ‘tell Ahmadinejad that reaching Venezuela is like reaching Cuba, because it’s the same homeland. So I’m also welcoming you to Cuba, brother,'” Chavez said.

But Ahmadinejad was also greeted with anger from the Jewish community and the Venezuelan opposition, which held protests.

“Venezuela’s democrats repudiate the visit of the undesirable Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Venezuela,” the Table of Unity opposition group said, describing Ahmadinejad’s alliance with Chavez as “dangerous.”

A statement from Venezuela’s Jewish community called Ahmadinejad an “ominous character” who could produce “greater misery for mankind.”

Ahmadinejad’s arrival in Venezuela came as Germany said there was “broad support” for a resolution at a meeting this week of the UN’s atomic watchdog condemning Iran for concealing a second uranium enrichment plant.

Tehran and six world powers known as the P5+1 — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany — have been at loggerheads for weeks, failing to reach a nuclear fuel deal aimed at allaying Western concerns.

Iran denies it is seeking to produce an atomic bomb under cover of its civilian nuclear energy program.

On the economic front, Venezuela and Iran, both members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), launched joint projects, including a binational bank, housing programs and bicycle, car and tractor assemblies.

Chavez and Ahmadinejad signed a dozen cooperation agreements in housing, farming, tourism and energy sectors and announced the opening soon of a direct, Caracas-Teheran air flight by Iran’s Mahan Air — “to bring us closer still,” Chavez said.

“I’m looking forward to visiting you in Tehran next year to continue promoting our already historic brotherhood,” Chavez told his guest.

“I’ll be waiting for you in Tehran,” said Ahmadinejad

Tehran, Nov 25,  – Air forces of the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps jointly launched the third phase of a nationwide aerial war game code-named “Defenders of Velayat-2” on Wednesday.

The war game speaker Brigadier General Ali Moqise said the Iranian forces have conducted several tactics including discovery and reconnaissance operations in the second phase of the maneuver.

The war game started on Sunday in western part of the country and will be wrapped up on Thursday.

The maneuver has three phases including preparation of military units, reconnaissance flights and dog fights.

The war game aims to display Iran’s deterrent military power in aerial combats.

The aim of the war game is to coordinate and enhance combat readiness of the Iranian Air Force, IRGC and the Basij (volunteer) forces.

The war games are being conducted in Bushehr, Fars, Yazd, Isfahan, Markazi and Gazvin provinces as well as in the northern and western parts of the country.

Addressing a gathering on “sustainable development and civil defense” on Wednesday, he said the most urging threat Iran was facing was the hegemonic attitudes and behaviors of the US.

Referring to the history of US hostile actions against Iran in the past three decades, he also stressed that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution always stopped some people who were somehow influenced by America.

Outlining the US hostile strategies against Iran, the speaker also noted that the US, though quite aware of the all criminal acts it has undertaken against Iran, refrained from extending apologies to the Iranian nation for its wrongdoings.

He said the Americans sometimes utter seemingly friendly remarks about ties with Iran to Iranian officials while they always hide the dagger they are carrying behind themselves.

Larijani further termed as a big mistake the assumption that the Americans would change their tone during the Obama administration, arguing that the problem with the US was basically not its tone but its strategies.

According to the speaker, both in post-election events and in talks related to Iran’s nuclear program the Americans thought that they could affect the situation but then realized that it was a hollow dream.

Ready for Talks

Iran wants concrete guarantees about receiving nuclear fuel for its research reactor in Tehran, a senior national security official said Tuesday.
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili made the call in a talk with the press on the sidelines of a police and security meeting in Tehran, IRNA reported.
If the necessary guarantees are not provided, Iran will resort to other options, he said without elaboration.
He added that “Providing nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor is not a political issue and has nothing to do with Iran’s talks with the Group 5+1”.
According to the top nuclear negotiator provision of nuclear fuel “is simply a commercial matter and not even a technical or legal issue…”

Talking Proposals
On the resumption of nuclear talks with the G5+1, Jalili said, “Tehran is ready to talk about its proposed package” presented to the western states last month in Vienna. Iran is willing to continue the talks only “over the subjects discussed in its proposed package.”
Referring to the talks between the two sides in Geneva, he said, “The talks were scheduled to be pursued over the issues discussed in Tehran’s proposed package.”
“They (G5+1), apparently, had some discussions among themselves and are not ready now.
Whenever they are ready to continue the talks on Iran’s proposals (then) we will welcome negotiations about the common concerns mentioned in the package.”

Exchange in Iran
The head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi told IRNA that Tehran is ready to send its low-enriched uranium abroad provided there is simultaneous exchange on its own soil of the nuclear fuel processed by big powers.
He said such a move will ensure that Tehran will receive the fuel required for its research reactor.
“The guarantee sought by the Islamic republic is to have simultaneous exchange of fuel in Iran,” Salehi said.
“We will not accept any imposed conditions nor accept treatment as an exceptional case…”
Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tehran is ready to ship its 3.5 percent low enriched uranium (LEU) but would want a simultaneous exchange on its soil with the 20 percent refined uranium from abroad.

Mechanism
“Iran is not opposed to sending uranium abroad, but is considering how to do that,” he told newsmen.
Tehran wants a “100 percent guarantee” that it would receive the fuel required for its research reactor and “one of the guarantees is a simultaneous exchange of fuel inside the country.”
The UN atomic agency brokered a deal last month under which Iran would send 1,200 kilograms of LEU, or 70 percent of its total stock to Russia and then France for conversion into fuel required for the internationally-supervised Tehran reactor.
Iran has rejected that deal amid stiff opposition from senior officials who oppose sending the LEU in one shipment. They fear the West might renege on its side of the bargain.
Iran has said it accepts the essential elements of the proposal but has demanded modifications to the offer.

TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have arrested seven alleged members of the Sunni militant group Jundallah and will put them on trial, a judiciary official said on Wednesday.

‘The charges against these seven people are that they are mohareb (fighters against God) and belong to the terrorist group of Abdulmalek Rigi,’ Ebrahim Hamidi, head of the Sistan-Baluchestan province judiciary, told Fars news agency.

Rigi heads the Jundallah (Soldiers of God) group which is engaged in an insurgency against Tehran’s Shiite rule in southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.

‘The files of these defendants… with their indictments have been sent to the court. Their trial will soon be held and the court of first instance will issue its verdict,’ Hamidi said.

Iran has regularly accused Jundallah of launching attacks in Sistan-Baluchestan province.

It also accuses the intelligence services of Pakistan, the United States and Britain of providing aid to the group so it can launch attacks inside Iran.

Jundallah claimed an October 18 suicide bombing in the province which killed more than 40 people, including 15 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.

Iran said those responsible for the bombing were based in Pakistan and also demanded that Islamabad hand Rigi over.

Islamabad has strongly denied it helps Jundallah or that Rigi operates from Pakistani soil.

LONDON: Iran has detained scores of students in an apparent bid to prevent new opposition protests during annual Student Day events next month, a Western-based human rights group said.

Iranian police, seeking to avoid any repeat of the huge demonstrations that erupted after a disputed election in June, have warned opposition supporters against using the December 7 Student Day commemorations to hold more rallies.

The pro-reform opposition says the June 12 presidential poll was rigged to secure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election. The authorities reject vote fraud allegations.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, based in the West, said scores of students in Iran had been detained and prosecuted in recent days, as authorities ‘apparently seek to stifle protests expected’ on December 7.

The group’s spokesman, Hadi Ghaemi, said in a statement published late on Tuesday: ‘In order to silence the student movement, a wholesale crackdown on Iranian students is underway, which not only violates their rights, but also disrupts their studies and the lives of their families.’

Reformist websites in Iran have also reported on detentions of students in recent weeks, saying some have also been suspended from their studies.

‘Getting closer to Student Day, pressure on students has increased to prevent them from holding gatherings on that day. Around 60 leading students have so far been arrested,’ the pro-reform Norooz website said.

Iran regularly dismisses accusations of human rights violations and accuses its Western foes of double standards and of violating people’s rights in their own countries.

Unable to stage their own demonstrations, reformers have sought to hijack official protests and have urged supporters to turn out on December 7.

Police clashed with supporters of Mirhossein Mousavi, who came second to Ahmadinejad in the June vote, on November 4 when an official rally marking the 30th anniversary of the storming of the US embassy turned violent.

On Sunday police prevented a mourning ceremony for the killing in 1998 of the heads of the illegal but tolerated Iran Nation Party from turning into an opposition rally.

Thousands have been arrested since the election for fomenting protests, which the authorities have portrayed as part of a foreign-backed bid to undermine the Islamic Republic’s clerical establishment.

Most of have been freed, but Iran’s judiciary last week said 81 people have so far been sentenced to jail terms of up to 15 years in connection with post-election unrest. Five people have been sentenced to death.

Iran needs to receive concrete guarantees for supplying nuclear fuel for its research reactor in Tehran, a senior national security official said on Tuesday.

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili made the remarks while speaking on the sidelines of a police and security gathering in the Iranian capital.

If necessary guarantees were not given to Iran, the country would have other options,” Jalili said, noting that if some (countries) failed to timely provide necessary fuel for Iran’s research reactor based on Iran’s will, then “this will add to the Iranians’ distrust in them.”

“Providing nuclear fuel for Tehran’s research reactor is not a political issue and has nothing to do with Iran’s talks with the group 5+1 member states,” said the official.

He noted that providing the fuel “is only a business matter and not even a technical or legal issue.”

As for Iran’s position on resumption of nuclear talks with the group 5+1 member states, Jalili said, “Tehran is ready to talk about its proposed package” presented to the Western states during last month’s talks in Vienna, Austria.

Jalili said that Tehran was willing to continue its talks with Western states only “over the subjects discussed in its proposed package.”

Referring to the latest talks between the two sides in Geneva, Jalili said, “The talks were scheduled to be followed up over the issues discussed in Tehran’s proposed package.”

“They (G5+1) have, apparently, faced some discussions among themselves and are not ready now,” Jalili said, adding, “Whenever they are ready to continue talks on Iran’s package of proposals, then we will welcome talking about the common concerns discussed in the package.”

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran headed for Bolivia on Tuesday from Brazil on the third leg of his tour to African and Latin American states.

The Iranian president visited Brazil on the second leg of his five-nation tour which had already taken him to Gambia.

He is also to visit Venezuela and Senegal after his visit to Bolivia.

While in Brasilia, the Iranian president met his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as well as a number of Iranian diplomats and nationals residing in the biggest Latin American state.

He also attended a televised interview with Brazil’s state television.

President Ahmadinejad started his five-nation tour since Sunday by a day-long visit to the African state of Gambia.

Two top Iranian officials said on Tuesday Tehran does not oppose sending its low-enriched uranium abroad as long there is a simultaneous exchange inside the country of nuclear fuel processed by world powers. Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast and nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri said simultaneous exchange inside Iran of its 3.5 percent low-enriched uranium with 20 percent pure uranium processed abroad would act as the guarantee required by Tehran.

“Iran is not opposed to sending uranium abroad, but is considering how to do that,” Mehmanparast told a news conference. He said Tehran wanted a “100 percent guarantee” that it would receive the fuel required for its research reactor and “one of the guarantees is a simultaneous exchange of fuel inside the country.”

Mehmanparast underscored that, saying Iran wanted such a guarantee because “the countries we are dealing with do not have good records in our public opinion.” “They have not lived up to their expectations and it has kind of created mistrust.”

Bagheri too said the simultaneous exchange of uranium would be the best guarantee to resolve the current impasse. “They (world powers) said that our 1,200 kilograms of 3.5 percent enriched uranium should be transported for further enrichment to 20 percent level by Russia and then to be converted into fuel by France for the Tehran reactor,” said Bagheri who is also the deputy secretary of Iran’s powerful Supreme National Security Council.

“Iran has no problem in transporting its 3.5 percent LEU, but needs a 100 percent guarantee it will get the fuel for the Tehran reactor and one of the guarantees is the simultaneous exchange of fuel inside Iranian territory,” he told hardline newspaper, Kayhan.

For his part, chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalali stressed that the Islamic republic wanted “concrete guarantees it would get the fuel for the Tehran reactor.” “If there is no concrete guarantee, we have other options,” he told state-owned Arabic language Al-Alam television, indicating Iran that could enrich its LEU to 20 percent or buy it abroad.