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Rohani once approved of hiding Iran atomic work

By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Years before he became Iran's president-elect, Hassan Rohani spoke approvingly about concealing his nation's nuclear program and said that when Pakistan got atomic bombs and Brazil began enriching uranium, "the world started to work with them."

UK's Supreme Court quashes British sanctions on Iranian bank

By Clare Hutchison LONDON (Reuters) - The UK's highest court has ruled that the British government was wrong to have imposed sanctions on an Iranian bank in 2009 over alleged links to Iran's nuclear program. The Supreme Court decision on Wednesday mirrored a January ruling by the European Union's General Court, which overturned sanctions imposed in 2010, and could result in the bank suing Britain for damages.

Iran 'in heaven' as soccer team qualifies for 2014 World Cup

By Zahra Hosseinian and Marcus George DUBAI (Reuters) - Tehran's streets were filled with young revelers for the second time in four days on Tuesday after the Iranian national soccer team qualified for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil with a win over South Korea. "I feel like God is answering all of our prayers at once," 24-year-old Nasim said by phone from Tehran. "First a new, different president - and now the World Cup. We're beside ourselves with happiness."

'Brazil here we come,' Iran fans sing

Millions of joyous Iranians flooded the streets of Tehran on Tuesday after the national team beat Asia powerhouse South Korea 1-0 away to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Men, women and children, still in party mood following the victory of moderate Hassan Rowhani in Friday's presidential election, filled the streets. "Brazil here we come," sang the fans in football-mad Iran. Footage aired on state television showed similar outpourings of joy around the country.

Russia urges softening of Iran sanctions amid nuclear hope

Russia on Tuesday urged the West to consider relaxing sanctions against Iran, saying there was unprecedented hope of a breakthrough in the nuclear standoff as Tehran was ready to make a major concession on uranium enrichment. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Iran was now ready to agree to suspend efforts to enrich uranium to 20 percent. If realised, such a move would mark Tehran's biggest compromise for years in the crisis.

Russia: Chance for progress on Iran nuclear issue must be seized

By Steve Gutterman MOSCOW (Reuters) - Iran has taken constructive steps toward compromise in the decade-old standoff over its nuclear program and world powers should reciprocate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published on Tuesday. Iranians elected a new moderate president, Hassan Rohani, on Friday and he held out the prospect on Monday of a thaw in relations between Iran and the world, including the United States, and progress on resolving the nuclear dispute.

Russia calls on West to consider relaxing Iran sanctions

Russia believes it is time to consider relaxing sanctions pressure on Iran amid hope of progress in the standoff over its nuclear programme, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying Tuesday. "It is necessary to avoid tightening the sanctions pressure against Tehran and start thinking about ways for a possible weakening (of sanctions) in a way that is tangible for Iran," Lavrov said in an interview with Kuwaiti news agency KUNA following the victory of moderate Hassan Rowhani in Iran's presidential election. sjw/ma/txw

Russia calls on West to consider relaxing Iran sanctions

Russia believes it is time to consider relaxing sanctions pressure on Iran amid hope of progress in the standoff over its nuclear programme, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying Tuesday. "It is necessary to avoid tightening the sanctions pressure against Tehran and start thinking about ways for a possible weakening (of sanctions) in a way that is tangible for Iran," Lavrov said in an interview with Kuwaiti news agency KUNA

S. Korea congratulates Rowhani's win in Iran presidential vote

SEOUL, June 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday congratulated moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani on winning Iran's presidential election, expressing hope for improving relations between the two nations. Rowhani won the Iranian poll on Friday with a landslide victory against conservative hardliners and will succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The South Korean government "congratulates Hassan Rowhani on being elected as the new president after winning extensive support from the Iranian people," Seoul's foreign ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young said.

Vote shows Iranian people want 'different direction'

US President Barack Obama said in an interview Monday that Iran's election result showed the country's people wanted to back away from confrontation with the outside world but ruled out for the moment lifting economic sanctions on Tehran. "Well, I think it says that the Iranian people want to move in a different direction," Obama told PBS television's "Charlie Rose" show.
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