Today: Iran and the Security Council

The diplomatic process with Iran crosses another line today.

Where Hashemi stands, so stands the Iranian street. Not because he is a visionary, but rather because he reacts consistently to popular opinion.

Bloomberg News:

April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani rejected a United Nations demand that Iran halt its nuclear program by today, underlining President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's pledge to expand the enrichment of uranium.

``We will continue on this path,'' Rafsanjani told thousands of believers during a Friday sermon in Tehran, capital of the Islamic Republic. ``Iran does not have military aims.''

The Washington Post: "U.N. Agency Finds Iran Noncompliant"

The Los Angeles Times:

SOFIA, Bulgaria — On the eve of a United Nations deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday called for diplomatic action against Tehran, warning that the U.N. Security Council cannot permit the regime to "simply ignore its will and its word."

CNN:

"Those who want to prevent Iranians from obtaining their right, should know that we do not give a damn about such resolutions," Ahmadinejad said, Reuters reported, citing the state-run IRNA news agency.