Why is Iran in the news?
President Bush's description of Iran as part of an international "axis of evil" has raised tensions between the two countries to perhaps their highest level since Iranian students held American citizens hostage in 1979-81. In his Jan. 29, 2002, State of the Union address Bush said that Iran "exports terror" and "aggressively pursues" weapons of mass destruction, making it a "grave and growing danger" to the United States and its allies.

Iranian officials rejected Bush's statement as an effort to justify U.S. support for Israeli attacks on Palestinians and said they would not be intimidated.

The central issue now is what actions Iran will take concerning its nuclear program and its support for anti-Israeli groups and whether those actions will allay U.S. concerns.

Bush's State of the Union speech

Post coverage: Bush Lays Down a Marker for Three 'Evil' States

Post coverage: Bush Speech Shuts Door on Tenous Opening to Iran