Middle East

VOI News - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the army to seal off the West Bank for 48 hours until midnight on Saturday, an army spokesman said. The action was taken "for security reasons" including a risk of attacks, the spokesman said Friday. The area was sealed off at midnight on Thursday. The army said some medical and religious workers, teachers, journalists and others would be exempted.  Israeli police have also said they would bar Muslim men under the age of 50 from prayers on Friday at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, one of Islam's holiest sites, fearing unrest.

Zagreb, VOI News - Iran has no intention of launching a war but will respond "strongly" to any attack, Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani said in an interview published Monday amid concern over its nuclear programme. "Iran certainly will not start a war. Ahani told Croatia`s Vecernji List daily. "But if we are attacked, we will respond strongly." Israel, which accuses Tehran of trying to acquire atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian programme - a charge Tehran strongly rejects - has not excluded the possibility of striking Iranian nuclear sites.

Islamabad, VOI News - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari held meeting with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas here on Friday and assured support to Palestinians. The two leaders exchanged views on prevalent situation in Middle East, regional and International issues, bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest. During the meeting Zardari assured Mahmoud Abbas that Pakistan would continue its support for the cause of independent Palestinian state, a statement issued by the President House said.

Tehran, VOI News - Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said Sunday that Iran will begin 20 percent uranium enrichment on Tuesday, Iran's state- run satellite channel Press TV reported. Iran will inform the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its plan to enrich 20 percent uranium on Monday and the enrichment will begin on Tuesday, Press TV quoted Salehi as saying.

Tehran, VOI News - Iran said on Tuesday it was ready to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment as requested by the U.N. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the decision in an interview with state Iranian television. He said Iran will have "no problem" giving the West its low-enriched uranium and taking it back several months later when it is enriched by 20 percent. The decision could signal a major shift in the Iranian position on the issue. Still, it was unclear how much of a concession the Ahmadinejad comments represented, even though he appeared to be saying for the first time that Iran was willing to ship out its enriched uranium and wait for it to be returned in the form of fuel for its Tehran research reactor.