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Obama says “deeply troubled” by Iran poll violence
- Obama says “deeply troubled” by Iran poll violence

US President Barack Obama said yesterday that he was “deeply troubled” by the recent violence in Iran, but made it clear that Washington wanted to avoid becoming a “handy political football” in the election dispute.

Obama said: “It is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran’s leaders will be. We respect Iranian sovereignty and want to avoid the United States being the issue inside of Iran, which sometimes the United States can be a handy political football – or discussions with the United States.”

But, in spite of the “deep differences that exist between the United States and Iran on a range of core issues,” Washington would continue to pursue some “tough, hard-headed diplomacy” with Tehran to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and ensure that that country was not “exporting terrorist activity.”

U.S. urges Iran to consider allegations of voting irregularities

US State Department spokesperson, ...