Iran Quotations | Page 5

The problem in crude oil and transportation fuel markets is that it's very volatile with the unrest in Nigeria, the uncertainty regarding Iran and continuing problems in Iraq. It just leads to unexpected prices in the crude oil market.

We highly appraise this decision. It shows what importance Iran assigns to relations with Russia.

We could easily go up another $3. This whole Iran issue could be around for quite some time yet.

We are very disappointed that Iran has not listened to international appeals ... this makes the situation very grave.

Both Bibi and Obama realize that they are going to have to face the problem of Iran together.

Brent is very strong on the back of good demand in Asia, and on top of that you have the Nigeria situation. We still don't know the implications of the Iran situation for the oil market.

Even the most concerned and skeptical of intelligence agencies now estimate that Iran is nearly a decade away from developing a nuclear weapon.

Bird-flu in wild swans in Germany, Austria and Iran are still cause for concern.

Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.

Continued instability in Iraq is hampering America's plans for the Middle East. Iran is ready to use its Iraq card to protect its nuclear achievements before it is too late.

Countries that managed to rebuild commanding state structures after popular nationalist revolutions - such as China, Vietnam, and Iran - look stable and cohesive when compared with a traditional monarchy such as Thailand or wholly artificial nation-states like Iraq and Syria.

Countries like Iran and China support an Internet Iron Curtain that would censor political dissidents and deny anonymous activity online through mandatory registrations of IP addresses.

Do people want an attack on Iran? No. Would the cost be high? Yes. ... But there is also a sense that the cost would be even higher to let Iran have a nuclear program.

Currently Iran has no enrichment capacity there is no possible way Iranians can enrich uranium.

Currently Iran has no enrichment capacity - there is no possible way Iranians can enrich uranium.

Engaging Iran won't guarantee improved U.S.-Iranian relations or a more stable Gulf region. But not engaging means more of the same.

Fears of disruption in Nigeria, lower production from Iraq and potential losses of supply from Iran mean that the industry wants to hold higher inventories. Nigerian oil is valuable in terms of quality and location.

The results help boost the confidence and show potential from our athletes. But we should concentrate more on the gap and learn from Iran and South Korea.

There's got to be a crunch point over Iran. At the end of the day Iran is intent on uranium enrichment and the West won't allow it.

The time has now come for the Security Council to act. Iran has still not come clean.

The UN-Iran conflict will recede a bit in coming sessions since the UN won't look back into the situation for 30 days. Iran now has 30 days to posture, it can issue some harsh words and in the end negotiate better terms when the deadline approaches.

Israel is the agent and surrogate of the United States and as such is treated entirely differently from every other country in the region. How can anyone expect Iran to accept that it is right for Israel to have nuclear weapons while itself being disallowed?

Issues relating to Russia's proposal to Iran to move its enrichment program to Russian territory will be discussed as well.

It would bog us down, it would further destabilize the Middle East, it would give Iran more influence, it would hurt Israel, it would put our allies over there in Saudi Arabia and Jordan in a terrible position. It won't be four years. We need to be out.

The sad fact about the statement of the President of Iran is that he was correctly articulating the policy of his regime which has given hands-on support to the most extreme terrorist elements in the Middle East.

The Russian proposal to enrich uranium outside Iran is still on the table and needs to be explored fully.

The Russian Federation have the same aim as the rest of the international community, ... Foreign Minister Lavrov is on record as saying that the Russian Federation does not wish the government of Iran to develop or acquire a nuclear weapons capability. That is the same approach as we have. What we're now working out is the appropriate tactics to achieve that.

The strategic challenge the Bush administration faced was to convince the rest of the world that Iran is more dangerous than the United States.

The speculators on the market are pushing the price up - they're worried about oil coming from Iraq, they're worried about what Iran could do to affect the price, they're worried about labor unrest in Nigeria.

The speculative money is as much of a key driver for oil prices as Iran and Nigeria. There has been a massive influx of new money into commodities in general since the start of the year.

The threat from Iran has really penetrated, with two of three saying Iran's nuclear program represents a major threat. Among people who have been following news about the issue, there's even greater concern.

(Tehran) is now using the tactic of dragging out talks as long as possible. I do not think we can expect Iran to clarify its position any time soon. I would rather suggest that this will not happen before March 6.

Russia will do its best to offer Iran a possible peaceful way out of the situation.

President Ford was taken for a ride by his predecessor, whom he unpardonably pardoned; Jimmy Carter was also taken for a ride, but by his successor, Ronald Reagan, over the return of the Iran hostages.

Sanctions could only be discussed when evidence is provided that Iran is pursuing not only peaceful work in the nuclear field.

Rather than acting to regain international confidence, Iran is moving ahead brazenly with its enrichment program, continuing its determined, step-by-step effort to acquire the material, technology and know-how to produce nuclear weapons.

Prices are strong at the moment primarily because of the tensions over Iran and concerns over what might come out from the IAEA inspection.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has denounced negotiation with Iran as a 'historic mistake' that is making the world 'a more dangerous place.' His partners in Washington vigorously echo that view.

Our family has lived in Iran for 2,500 years, and Iranian Jewry has the long history in that land.

People don't like bases. If bases are absolutely necessary, if there's a perceived threat ... but I don't think even Iran will be a threat.

Against this backdrop, developments in Iran not just on the question of proliferation, but also on the issue of external security and the impact on life in our own country as well represent a danger.

After installing friendly leaders in Iran and Guatemala, the United States lost interest in promoting democracy in either country.

The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran all contribute to core goals of U.S. policy in those countries.

Some people inside Iran believed that Iran's negotiating partners should not be limited to three European countries, although they can remain a part of the issue.

Once we relieve them from sanctions, their economy opens up, and they can sell oil and pistachios and whatever else they sell around the world. That was why Iran needed a deal. Everyone knows they fund terrorism around the world. Having that extra money will add a lot of problems and create a lot more hot spots.

One has to expect that it (the IAEA) will put it before the Security Council, if Iran doesn't come round,

One can speak of sanctions only after the appearance of concrete facts proving that Iran is not engaged exclusively in peaceful nuclear activities.

Oil prices dipped half a dollar as many traders looked to book profits, speculating that the previous price rally was an over-reaction to concerns that Iran could use oil as a weapon against the U.N..

Oil prices and continued inflammatory comments from Iran are driving gold.

Oil futures are based on people's fears. It's almost exactly similar to the stock market. We buy oil on the futures market. So if you look out in the future, you have to say, is it likely that Iran will have a conflict?

The more defiant Iran becomes, the more the spotlight is on the U.N. to try to find a diplomatic solution.

Definitely, Iran will never be prepared for dismantling. This is out of the question and is out of negotiation.

Definitely Iran has huge gas reserves and I am definitely glad if Iranian gas will come to serve the European market as well.

Despite the relative high stocks of crude and oil products in the US, the market remains supported by the concerns about Iran reducing exports, either voluntarily or because of any sanctions imposed.

A nuclear-armed Iran would represent a direct threat to U.S. forces and allies in the region, the greater Middle East, Europe and Asia, and eventually to the United States itself. At a minimum, it could seek to use nuclear weapons as a powerful tool of intimidation and blackmail.

A quick pullout would leave a vacuum that Iran would be all too happy to fill. The Iraqis who are supporting a democratic government would be completely demoralized. It could lead to a very quick unraveling of national cohesion.

Apparently, the market thinks that OPEC is set to simply roll over the existing production quota in the upcoming meeting. Even so, there will probably be provocative comments from both Iran and Venezuela.

AN IMAGINARY AXIS OF EVIL: IRAN FROM THE INSIDE,

As far as U.S. intelligence knows, Iran is developing nuclear capacities, but they don't know if they are trying to develop nuclear weapons or not. Chances are they're developing what's called 'nuclear capability,' which many states have. That is the ability to have nuclear weapons if they decide to do it. That's not a crime.

As a first step, we envision a call (by the council) for Iran to cooperate with the IAEA and take the steps identified by the board to restore confidence.

You still have the Iran case under discussion and I think Iran won't change their strong language.

The weekly inventory numbers caught the market by surprise again. The unanimous UN decision demanding Iran stop nuclear enrichment probably rekindled concern that Iran will use oil as a political weapon.

The whole geopolitical situation is critical and I regard Iran as extremely serious. It is the world's fourth largest crude oil exporter with an unpredictable president that could stop exports.

The U.N. Security Council would be hurting the world more than it was hurting Iran if it restricted Iranian oil exports. The United Nations might restrict other Iranian exports or limit Iranian imports of military equipment, but I don't see the U.N. Security Council imposing sanctions on Iranian oil.

This global tension, led by the stalemate between Iran and the U.S., could lead to oil prices about $80. People are really afraid that something is going to happen, and soon.

This attack was in Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it may be in Berlin or in Paris or in London - countries that may vote against Iran on the issue its nuclear program.

This is about the whole of the international community, there is a board of the International Atomic Energy Agency where it has decided on seven successive occasions unanimously that Iran must bring itself in to full compliance with its own obligations, which have been there for years and years, for complete transparency under the Non Proliferation Treaty.

American politics as you know . . . is very often a matter of capture the flag. The party that loses the flag, as the Democratic party did basically from 1972 through the Iran hostage crisis, is in trouble.

America needs a sensible, sustainable Iran policy that can meet U.S. security and economic interests, command international support and withstand the shifting Middle Eastern sands.

A lot of uncertainty remains in how the Iranian situation will work itself out. There is some concern in the Asian market on whether Iran is a reliable supplier.

You don't stand in the way of a runaway train. Obviously, Iran seems to be the big concern. You've also got to bear in mind the risk to the gasoline market in the U.S. I get the impression that there is more to go.

There remains a strong wish for a diplomatic solution. We have no wish to isolate Iran; we hope Iran will not choose to isolate itself.

They're not going to resolve it unless there's a last minute deal done with the Russians. The Mullahs in Iran want a nuclear capability and that's why they have to be stopped.

There's a sense that Iran has heated up and if it's going to come to a head, it will be further out than May.

There is tremendous political risk to supplies, including from OPEC producers, such as Iran or Venezuela, who have trouble meeting their production quotas, or even Nigeria. They can't address these concerns openly, but I am sure they are on everybody's mind.

At a time when we are trying to keep countries such as Iran from expanding their nuclear programs, it is irresponsible for the Bush administration to push this dangerous technology worldwide. We have better, cleaner, and cheaper energy solutions that can be used to meet our energy needs and protect the environment.

A bit of the premium in the oil price on Iran has been taken off today. The market interpretation (of U.S. comments) is that there will be no sanctions and that oil won't be used.

A bit of the premium in the oil price on Iran has been taken off today.

It is our hope that this mandate will set Iran on a course towards a more constructive and a new role in the region, one which eventually leads to Iran's full political and economic reintegration into the international community.

It is very important that the international community ... keeps the pressure on Iran at this stage for them to really, really acknowledge the situation of human rights abuses in the country and really try to change the situation.

It's a question of whether Iran or the U.S. blinks first.

It's U.S. gasoline, its Nigeria, it's the financial flows and Iran is there in the background. Do I think we're going to hit $70 at some point? Easily.

It's not rational to tell Iran not to enrich uranium - it's our right.

It's not new. They increased their activities in Iran two or three years ago and now instead of a reformist president we have a conservative president. That tells you how successful they were.

The nuclear clock is rapidly ticking and we don't have much time. Unless the international community acts now, Iran will eventually get a bomb.

It is this regime that started a war of genocide against the Kurdish people, then started an unjust war against our dear neighbour Iran which has often helped the Iraqi people at times of hardship.

It's high noon at the Security Council. Prices will rise because tensions are high. Iran has said that it would not specifically use oil as a weapon but now they are changing their tune.

The Nigerian problem is driving oil prices -- it's a pure security question. If the posturing over Iran continues, then we will see oil prices go the same way again.

The next big thing on tap is the Iran situation, and we will have to see what happens then and how the market perceives the deadline passing.

The non-military answer in Iran is political change.

The biggest problem that we have on the face of the planet is Iran getting a nuclear weapon.

The biggest loser is Iran because there has finally been a finding that they are in non-compliance and that changes the equation enormously...They are now considered violators and no longer a member of the club.

The Ayatollah's regime will have a major role in Palestine. We trust Iran to help us deal with the challenges facing us today.

The agency calls on Iran again not to start any activities in Isfahan before the IAEA inspection system is in place.

Nothing good will come out of the conference, nothing good will come out of it for the Palestinians. Iran is only offering the Palestinians more blood and despair. The future is only in peace and in reconciliation and regional cooperation and Tehran is fundamentally opposed to those goals.

It will lead to an unnecessary politicizing of the situation. Iran is not violating its obligations and its actions do not threaten the non-proliferation regime,

It will take some strong earnings and bullish forecasts, as well as positive economic data, to keep the rally going. There are plenty of economic data and earnings releases to sway market opinion from hour to hour and day to day. Behind it all, there is the rising threat of geopolitical tensions with Iran and higher interest rates out of the Federal Reserve.

They could not find evidence which shows that Iran has diverted from its peaceful purposes of nuclear activities in Iran.

These people think they have defeated Iran, but they should know that Iran is not a place where they can do what they did with Libya and Iraq.

Once this resolution is passed, a tougher stage will begin and we will see what effect the board of governors' calls on Iran will have.