New York Times: It was always wishful thinking to expect that all of the United Nations’ 193 member states would approve the treaty regulating global trade in conventional weapons that was negotiated in New York this week.
Syria, Iran and the N.R.A. versus everybody
Iraq says it will search more Syria-bound flights
AP: Iraq says it will stop more aircraft moving through its airspace and vehicles traveling overland to search for weapons being sent to the Syrian civil war, a senior Iraqi official said Friday.
Iran criticizes Qatar for giving embassy to Syrian opposition
Reuters: Iran, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused Qatar on Friday of “intensifying the bloodshed” in Syria and criticized it for enabling an opposition bloc to open its first embassy in Doha.
Iran, N. Korea, Syria block arms trade treaty
AFP: Iran, North Korea and Syria on Thursday held up agreement on the first global treaty on the $80 billion a year conventional arms trade.
Egypt says Iranians pose no risk
AP: Egypt’s tourism minister said Thursday that allowing Iranian tourists to visit Egypt after being banned for more than three decades would pose no threat and could help shore up the nation’s struggling tourism industry.
Ten years after Iraq war began, Iran reaps the gains
Los Angeles Times: Ten years after the U.S.-led invasion to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the geopolitical winner of the war appears to be their common enemy: Iran.
Iran summons Saudi envoy over spy ring claim
AP: Iran has summoned a Saudi envoy to protest the kingdom’s allegation that members of a spy ring arrested in the Arab country last week worked for Iranian intelligence.
Japan takes on more Iranian crude oil
UPI: Japan imported more crude oil from Iran in February than it did during the same period last year, the Japanese Ministry of Finance said.
China oil tanker seen at Iran port for first time since EU ban
Bloomberg: A Chinese supertanker able to haul 2 million barrels of crude sent a signal from Iran’s largest export terminal in what may be the first visit of its kind since a European ban on insuring shipments in July.
Focus on Syria and Iran instead
New York Times: Much of the news media coverage of President Obama’s Middle East trip focused on the quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace, the “Holy Grail” of recent American presidents. But that issue, though important, is simply not ripe for resolution.
