Accessibility links

Breaking News
News

World Reacts to Ahmadinejad Victory


International reaction to the re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is mixed.

Israel, which is frequently the target of Mr. Ahmadinejad's verbal attacks, expressed serious concerns.

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Saturday that Mr. Ahmadinejad's victory demonstrates that the "Iranian threat" has grown. He said the international community must stop the nuclear program and terrorism coming from Iran.

Iranian media report that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called Mr. Ahmadinejad to congratulate him on the victory. Mr. Chavez is an ally of the Iranian president and another frequent critic of the United States.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he does not think there will be significant change in Iran's policies. But he said the election brought out a lot of opposition to Mr. Ahmadinejad, and expressed hope that the Iranian president will "listen to those opinions" and "modify" his positions.

Mr. Carter was speaking from Ramallah in the West Bank, where he met with Palestinian officials.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
XS
SM
MD
LG