January 5, 2006: The U.S. has put sanctions on nine companies for supplying weapons, and military materials, to Iran. Included in China's largest arms supplier, NORINCO. Iran is apparently ignoring UN attempts to stop the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Iran is, in effect, daring the UN to "do something" about the nuclear weapons program Iran denies it has, but was caught concealing for 18 years. Iran insists it has a right to have nuclear weapons.

January 3, 2006: The U.S. has warned Iran to cease developing nuclear weapons, or else. This set off several speculative stories about when American or Israeli warplanes would bomb Iran. Israel denied any current interest in such a project, as did the U.S..

January 2, 2006: Iran turned down a Russian proposal to provide nuclear fuel. Iran insists it wants to create it's own nuclear fuel. If you can produce nuclear fuel, you can produce nuclear material for nuclear weapons.

January 1, 2006: A Pakistani Islamic radical group, Jundollah, captured nine Iranian soldiers on the Pakistani border. Jundollah is a Sunni group said to contain Arabs and local Baluchi tribesmen. Jundollah wants 16 of its members, held in Iranian jails, to be released. Apparently, Jundollah is involved in smuggling, and some of its people got caught.

December 31, 2005: Turkey has come out in open opposition to Iran's nuclear weapons program. Turkey is an ancient enemy of Iran, and would be a likely victim of threats by a nuclear armed Iran.