Updated on
Summary
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signaled that Moscow might be prepared to soften its opposition to sanctions against Iran over its nuclear plans. Medvedev, speaking after talks with US President Barack Obama, said that in some cases sanctions were inevitable. Earlier, a Russian official said Moscow could support fresh sanctions if there was enough evidence from UN inspectors. Iran's president did not refer directly to the nuclear stand-off in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York. However, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke of countries which undermined the development of other nations under the pretext of preventing arms proliferation. He accused Israel of inhuman policies in Palestine and condemned US-led military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The speech appeared to be designed to send a variety of messages. For his supporters, there were more harsh words about Israel. But his remarks about shaking hands sounded like a deliberate echo of the words used by President Obama about the prospect of engagement with Iran.
