Russia’s president retreated from his threat to deploy missiles on Europe’s borders, but only if President-elect Barack Obama joined Russia in calling for a conference on European security.

Russia’s president retreated from his threat to deploy missiles on Europe’s borders, but only if President-elect Barack Obama joins Russia in calling for a conference on European security.

Russia’s threat to station missiles along its border with Europe drew strong criticism from senior United States and European officials.

Russia’s threat to station missiles along its border with Europe drew strong criticism from senior United States and European officials Thursday.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called remarks by Russia’s president, Dmitri Medvedev, on placing missiles along Russia’s European border, “unnecessary and misguided.”

Iran said it had test-fired a new generation of long-range missiles with a 1,200-mile range, state-run television reported. An official said it would used against invaders.

The Iranian military has test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missiles designed for defensive purposes, television reports said.

Iran test-fired a new missile in the western city of Marivan, near the border with Iraq during a military maneuver, a government television network reported.

President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia has thrown down a gauntlet intended to demonstrate to the American president-elect that the post-cold-war era may not be so post after all.

President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia has thrown down a gauntlet intended to demonstrate to the American president-elect that the post-cold war era may not be so post after all.