CNN news 2015-03-14 加文本

cnn news 2015-03-14

CARL AZUZ, HOST: cnn STUDENT NEWS is 10 minutes of current events.

Welcome to our viewers around the world.

I`m Carl Azuz.

Our first story today concerns the Middle Eastern nation of Iran. It`s a theocratic republic. Its official religion is Islam. It has both a president elected every four years and a supreme leader, a Muslim religious scholar who`s appointed for life. He has the nation`s ultimate political and religious authority.

The U.S. and some other Western nations have designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism. It`s been a focus of the international community because of its controversial nuclear program and because its leaders have repeatedly spoken out against Israel, a U.S. ally in the Middle East.

But Iran and the Obama administration are currently in talks. U.S. officials are considering lifting economic penalties on Iran if it puts a hold on its nuclear program.

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, cnn CORRESPONDENT: What you have here is a very large population, about 80 million people live in Iran. It`s a very dynamic population, a very young population, a very well-educated population and a population that loves doing business.

Now, of course, the big thing holding Iran back are the international sanctions because of Iran`s nuclear program.

(voice-over): Many countries in the West fear that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon. The Iranians maintain that their nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

(on camera): We also have to keep in mind that this country is run by the clergy and there are a lot of regulars fundamentalists in this country that don`t mind the sanctions at all. They say they`re willing to live with the sanctions rather than soften up their stance toward the West.

Now, there is one area where Iran, the U.S. and the West have a common enemy, and that is the fight against ISIS. The Iranians are we doing a lot to combat ISIS in Iraq as well as in Syria. They have generals there on the ground. They have advisers on the ground. They`re training militias.

One thing, however, is clear -- if sanctions are lifted, if this country is able to realize its full potential, it will become even more of a powerhouse here in the Middle East.

AZUZ: The Assyrian city of Nimrud is one of Iraq`s most renowned archeological sites. This is video of workers excavating it in 2001.

Nimrud dates back to the 13th century BC. And Iraq`s government says it`s being destroyed by the ISIS terrorist group.

It`s attacked a lot of historic artifacts in Iraq, calling them symbols of idolatry.

But ISIS itself may be showing signs of weakness.

BARBARA STARR, cnn CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraqi troops and Shia militia near Tikrit taking down ISIS flags, inching closer to liberating the city from ISIS control.

The optics -- an Iraqi victory against ISIS backed up by help from Iran. Senior U.S. officials watching across Iraq and Syria as indications sporadically grow that ISIS could be in trouble.

After nearly 3,000 coalition airstrikes, the days of freely moving around in large formations, flying black flags and taking territory may be over for the group.

GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: They can no longer do that. And it`s principally because of the effects that we`ve had on them. It`s not about just the kinetic effects alone.

STARR: Signs that ISIS may be fracturing in some local areas over the strain of attempting to function as a state.