The National: Developments unfolding in the region since the start of the century indicate an active US-Iranian alliance in several places behind a transparent curtain of faked US and western animosity to fool Arabs and Turkey, Faisal Al Qassem argued in an opinion article in the Doha-based newspaper Al Sharq.
Are US and Iran in a secret alliance?
Was Iran involved in the Benghazi attack?
SpyGhana.com: Was Iran involved in the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012? Too many would dismiss that question with a simple “no.” Benghazi was al Qaeda. It’s Sunni. They hate the Shiites in Iran.
Iran: Ahmadinejad granted license to start university
New York Times: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, whose tumultuous two-term tenure is in its final few days, will be moving to academia. The government’s Islamic Republic News Agency announced Monday that Mr. Ahmadinejad had been granted a license to start an international university in Tehran.
Saudi crude exports to U.S. rose in 2012, Iran sold more to Asia
Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia’s shipment of crude oil to the U.S. rose last year and Iran boosted Asian shipments to counter falling sales to its European customers, OPEC reported.
Iran’s Rouhani to pack cabinet with old hands
Reuters: Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani will pick a cabinet of experienced insiders and will appoint the head of a powerful charity-cum-business foundation as his chief nuclear negotiator, Iranian news agencies said on Monday.
Obama extends economic sanctions linked to Hezbollah
AFP: President Barack Obama announced Monday he had extended for at least a year the US freeze on financial assets of entities linked to Hezbollah, citing a threat to Lebanon’s stability.
Iran: Lessons learned
UPI: In 1978, the Central Intelligence Agency assigned me to Iran. Martial law was declared the day after my family and I arrived. In 1979, I left after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s triumphant arrival on an Air France flight and the first takeover of the U.S. Embassy.
Iran to take Chinese subway cars for oil
AP: A senior Iranian official says the country has ordered 315 subway cars from China in place of payment for oil that can’t be transferred due to sanctions. Amir Jafarpour says officials were forced to order the coaches because billions of dollars of payments from crude oil exports to China have not been transferred to Iran because of sanctions.
Iran’s leader demands apology for 2009 claims
AP: Iran’s Supreme Leader is calling on top opposition figures to apologize for claiming vote fraud in the country’s 2009 presidential elections. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments are seen as a response to demands from Iranian politicians for the release of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, both under house arrest since 2011.
Textile exports to Iran set for a rupee push
The Hindu: Textile exporters have spotted an opportunity in the crisis in India-Iran trade caused by sanctions on the latter by the West. The textile industry is eyeing the rupee settlement mechanism between the two countries to push textile exports to Iran.
