[ti:IN THE NEWS] [ar:Voice of America] [al:VOA Special English] [by:WWW.51VOA.COM] [00:00.00]51VOA.COM [00:03.76]This is IN THE NEWS [00:05.32]in VOA Special English. [00:08.17]This week, [00:09.53]Iran test-fired a new missile. [00:12.61]President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [00:15.32]announced the launch to a crowd [00:17.52]in Semnan province, [00:19.51]his birthplace and a base for missile launches. [00:23.33] [00:24.93]MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD (translator): [00:26.26]"The Sejil-2 missile, [00:27.39]which has very advanced technology, [00:29.39]was launched from Semnan [00:31.00]and it landed precisely on the target." [00:33.50] [00:36.08]Officials say the solid-fuel rocket [00:38.78]could reach Israel, [00:40.17]southeastern Europe and American bases [00:43.88]in the Middle East. [00:45.33]American Defense Secretary Robert Gates says [00:49.85]the Iranian missile will be able to travel [00:53.34]up to two thousand five hundred kilometers. [00:56.79]But because of engine problems,he says, [01:00.73]the range right now is probably closer [01:04.12]to two thousand kilometers. [01:07.00]Wednesday's test came two days [01:10.13]after Benjamin Netanyahu, [01:12.19]the new Israeli prime minister, [01:14.80]visited President Obama. [01:17.06]It was their first meeting as leaders. [01:20.84]Next week, [01:22.49]the Palestinian and Egyptian presidents [01:25.87]visit the White House. [01:27.65]President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu [01:31.64]both spoke of the threat [01:33.55]of a nuclear-armed Iran. [01:36.39] "I firmly believe it is in Iran's interest [01:39.23]not to develop nuclear weapons, [01:41.93]because it would trigger a nuclear arms race [01:46.92]in the Middle East [01:47.96]and be profoundly destabilizing [01:50.53]in all sorts of ways." [01:52.04]"If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, [01:55.26]it could give a nuclear umbrella to terrorists, [01:57.60]or worse it could actually [01:58.60]give terrorists nuclear weapons, [02:00.06]and that would put us all in grave peril." [02:02.85]Iran says its nuclear program is for energy. [02:06.85]But the latest test only added [02:10.08]to concerns about missiles [02:12.30]that could one day carry nuclear weapons. [02:15.32]Israel points out that President Ahmadinejad [02:19.22]has said the Jewish State should be [02:22.10]"wiped off the map." [02:23.62]President Obama still has to decide [02:27.36]the future of a Bush administration plan [02:30.27]to put a missile defense system in Poland [02:33.94]and the Czech Republic. [02:36.01]Russia objects. [02:38.23]But the United States says the system [02:41.55]would protect Europe [02:43.42]from a possible attack by Iran. [02:46.57]President Obama says he is trying to reach out [02:51.03]to the Iranians with diplomacy. [02:53.36]But he says there must be a "clear timetable" [02:58.07]for talks about protecting their security [03:01.40]without threatening other people's security. [03:04.91]There should be some sense [03:07.61]by the end of the year,he says, [03:09.94]whether or not serious progress is being made. [03:13.99]"We are not going to have talks forever. [03:16.74]We are not going to create a situation [03:19.32]in which talks become an excuse for inaction [03:23.07]while Iran proceeds with developing a nuclear [03:29.39]and deploying a nuclear weapon." [03:31.03]Iran's presidential election is June twelfth. [03:34.25]President Ahmadinejad is seeking a second term. [03:38.25]He will face three other candidates [03:41.40]chosen this week from more than [03:43.97]four hundred fifty who entered the race. [03:46.91]One of those he will face [03:49.40]is Mir Hossein Mousavi. [03:51.85]The former prime minister along with [03:55.49]former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi [03:58.65]are both seen as reformist. [04:01.27]Iran's Guardian Council also approved [04:05.52]the candidacy of President Ahmadinejad [04:08.55]and Mohsen Rezai, [04:11.20]former head of the Revolutionary Guards. [04:14.55]Both men are conservative. [04:16.89]The president's opponents have criticized [04:20.88]his handling of the economy -- [04:23.33]inflation is high. [04:25.26]But he has won praise at home for his support [04:29.73]for developing satellite and rocket technology. [04:33.94]Iran launched its first satellite [04:37.60]into orbit in February -- [04:39.62]the thirtieth anniversary [04:41.73]of the Islamic revolution. [04:43.69]And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, [04:49.10]written by Brianna Blake. [04:51.11]I'm Steve Ember. [04:52.93]51VOA.COM