Ahmadinejad Stature Fades as Pressure Grows on Iran Atomic Work

When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first came to the United Nations General Assembly three years ago, he declared the question of Iran’s nuclear program “closed.”

Ahmadinejad returned to the UN this week with a different message: that he was open to talks with the U.S. and other Western powers about the nuclear issue. He was greeted by a decree signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sept. 22 banning weapons sales to Iran, including missile defense systems, in compliance with UN sanctions.