News from Iran

Why I'm supporting Iran in the World Cup

Jon Snow: This week football, but not as we know it. My more conventional Snowmail missives contained news last Friday that I was supporting Iran in the World Cup.

Watching Iran's performance in a qualifier while in Tehran had given me heart. The World Cup is one arena where one really could indulge in fantasy football.

I allowed my imagination to run rampant. President Ahmadinejad flying to the finals in Germany for the finals against, say, England and Tony Blair shaking the nuclear hand that might bite him...

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Blogging mullahs? It never happened to Graham Greene

Jon Snow: Extraordinary trip and extraordinary timing. Iran was right in the eye of the storm and it was quite amazing to be there without any real media competition.

Amazing access and yet, of course, the same very strange restrictions. It's hard to define - especially writing this from my desk in London - but you know when you've hit them.

Beautiful country, bright people with lots of potential and a real feeling that the western community just hasn't begun to understand Iran. It was probably one of the most challenging things that I've ever had to report upon.

'Ba doorood-eh faravaan'

Jon Snow: On the way back from Isfahan today once again we passed the Natanz enrichment facility. All the anti aircraft installations were manned, the site looked look busy with a huge construction crane - it certainly didn't look like it was about stop working any time soon.

An eventfully journey in which a huge cog fell out of the engine of one our vans, which still seemed to be able to go on speedily for another few miles before conking out altogether and in which our Iran outside broadcasting unit crashed, with the driver arrested.

Hard to tell quite what all that means, because the fine Iranians on the unit promised they would have us linked up to the satellite tonight nonetheless, fingers crossed.

This is where nuclear enrichment is underway

Jon Snow: This is one of those days where maybe you can give more of an impression in the Snowmail than you can elsewhere.

The journey from Qom to Isfahan is, to all intents and purposes, flat on a superhighway upon which there is almost no traffic.

Out on your right hand side there are the most spectacular volcanic formations that rise at times to a considerable mountain range capped with snow. Minding our business as we do, we almost missed the signs to Natanz, an uninviting settlement about 50 miles short of Isfahan.

Before you reach it on the right you suddenly see tell-tell low-lying buildings - cream in colour, rather strangely. This is where nuclear enrichment is underway.

Qom - the centre of Iran's theocratic state

Jon Snow: We are in the holy city of Qom, an amazing place that feels a bit like the Vatican and quite a lot like many other places of religious faith.

Even Jerusalem, if that's not a sacriligious thing to say -  I don't think it is because Qom is a precious place to Christians, Muslims and Jews alike.

- Listen to Jon's podcast from Qom or subscribe to it here -

Qom is the capital of Shia Islam. Mullahs wrestle over doctrine in little cubby holes along small dusty side streets. Glittering mosaics festoon the Shrine of the Sister of the 8th Imam - the gold leaf of the dome above glistening in the night sky.

Iran, saviour of Iraq?

Jon Snow: I am in my normal posture in Iraq stuck in traffic slumped in a taxi after a briefing with a senior Iranian in Iraq.

His perspective is amazing and I emerged from two hours with him pretty convinced that if anyone is ever going to sort everything out in Iraq, they are going to need all the assistance Iran can give them.

To that end, he says he has been contacted by the US ambassador in Baghdad and asked to come and talk. Of course, the Americans want this to appear in complete secrecy. Meanwhile the Iranians, if they agree to it, and they have been asked repeatedly for six months, will want all the publicity they are capable of mustering.

Podcast: Chasing Larijani

Jon Snow tells the behind the scenes - seat of your pants - story of our exclusive, live interview with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.

You can listen to the audio here or subscribe to our podcast guaranteeing you get to hear subsequent broadcasts.

Also worth seeing: Does Iran want to build a nuclear bomb? - the Ali Larijani interview.

This blog is part of News from Iran week from Channel 4 News.

'A killing field for any enemy aggressor'

Jon Snow: The war of words between America and  Iran is in full flow, following US Ambassador to the UN Jon Boltons' declaration that the consequences for Iran of continuing with their nuclear programme would be 'painful' and that Americawould use every tool to force Iran's hand.

Tonight, Iran's deputy army commander has warned that if America attacks in any form Iran will "use its experience of war to turn this land into a killing field for any enemy aggressor".

Now, let us just hose ourselves down for a moment.

The eye of the storm

Jon Snow:  Well the clock is ticking here in Tehran. Looks like all our efforts to stave off a crisis over Iran's nuclear programme have failed.

Tomorrow the members of the IAEA meet in Vienna to almost certainly rubber stamp a referral of Iran to the UN security council, and dire warnings for Iran are issuing out from the United States.

America's ambassador to the UN as just said that they're prepared to 'use all the tools at our disposal' to stop Iran's nuclear activities. Strong words out of Washington, as they warn Iran she faces tangible and painful consequences. They speak of Iran's nuclear threat, and talk of beefing up America's 'defensive measures…'

Iran: America's first 9/11

The 1979 hostage crisis when 52 American citizens were held for 444 days was in effect the United States' first September 11, argues Jon Snow.

In an interview with channel4.com/news before he left for Iran, he observed:

"There has been no US cabinet minister visit Iran since the Iranian revolution - with the exception of Robert MacFarlane under Ronald Reagan who went there purely to broker a deal to get some arms to the Contras in central America.

"That wounding sore for America and the failure to rescue the hostages is one of the reasons generally the US has never managed to sustain a relationship with Iran.

"They have never tried to look at the revolution through Iranian eyes and that's what we are going to do when we go there."

"We are going to look at the world from an Iranian perspective, what does the world look like out there, what do they feel?

"They feel threatened by Pakistan's nuclear bomb, Israel's nuclear bomb and by Afghanistan. They are surrounded by trouble - war in Iraq, unstable regime in Saudi Arabia Israel, Pakistan. It's quite a beleaguered feeling and, remember, they are [majority] Persians, not Arabs."

Read the the full article here.

This blog is part of News from Iran week from Channel 4 News.