World Bank keeps its distance from Iran, despite lifted sanctions

The World Bank aims to eradicate global poverty, but its push stops at the Iranian border despite the easing of sanctions against Tehran and the country's pressing economic needs. The Washington-based development bank seems reluctant to reengage in a country where it stopped all new projects in 2005 in compliance with the international sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear program. "We're following the situation very closely ... we don't have any specific plans yet," said World Bank President Ji