UNITED NATIONS

Obama to Sharpen Line on Iran

While Ahmadinejad dismisses war threats.

Barack Obama will speak at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, and his remarks are expected to include a clear and tough message to Iran about its nuclear programs. The president has already, however, dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands that the U.S. set “red lines” for Iran as merely “noise.” In his speech to the U.N. Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote off threats of military action against his country, claiming instead that any movement on the nuclear front is for peaceful purposes. While Ahmadinejad seemed to extend an olive branch to Obama by saying it’s not too late for dialogue with the U.S., he refused to even speak the name of Israel and said he doesn’t take its threats seriously.