Iran news headlines on Wednesday include Iran's chief nuclear negotiator calling recent nuclear talks as "positive step"; Former Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki running for Irans presidential race; Researchers at Symantec Corp statements on Stuxnet computer virus attacking Iran's nuclear program two years earlier than previously thought and US lawmakers introduction a new bill to isolate Iran with sanctions. Iran: Nuclear negotiations end on positive note
Negotiations with world powers over how to curb Irans nuclear program have reached a turning point for the better after nearly breaking down last year, the Islamic republics top official at diplomatic talks said Wednesday at the close of two days of delicate discussions aimed at preventing Tehran from building an atomic arsenal. Former foreign minister Mottaki joins Irans presidential race
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has announced he will run for president in an election in June likely to be dominated by seething conservative rivalries.
The presidential poll is a crucial test for Iran after the last one in 2009 ignited mass street protests in Tehran and other cities after Mahmoud Ahmadinejads disputed re-election. Researchers say Stuxnet was deployed against Iran in 2007
Researchers at Symantec Corp have uncovered a version of the Stuxnet computer virus that was used to attack Irans nuclear program in November 2007, two years earlier than previously thought.
Stuxnet, which is widely believed to have been developed by the United States and Israel, was discovered in 2010 after it was used to attack a uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, Iran. It was the first publicly known example of a virus being used to attack industrial machinery. U.S. lawmakers seek to further isolate Iran with sanctions
U.S. lawmakers will introduce a bill on Wednesday that expands economic penalties against Iran and is designed to force countries like China to buy less Iranian crude oil, according to a copy of the legislation obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
The bill is the latest attempt by members of the U.S. Congress to stop the Iranian government from enriching uranium to a level that could be used in weapons. It comes as Iran and six major powers meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to discuss Tehrans nuclear program.
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