Wall Street Journal: After the looming fiscal cliff, the next major challenge facing the United States will be preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability. Living with a nuclear Iran is strategically untenable. Like the fiscal cliff, this is a matter of both economic and national security.
The economic cost of a nuclear Iran
Obama faces a more volatile Mideast in his second term
Bloomberg: The most persistent challenge may remain Iran, where economic sanctions so far have failed to halt the Islamic republic’s suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. While the U.S. and its allies are preparing a new push for negotiations, pressure is mounting to consider military action against Iran.
Iran cautiously ponders Syria after Assad
AP: It wasn’t exactly a break-up moment between Iran and ally Bashar Assad. But Tehran’s whiplash diplomacy over the weekend suggested its embrace of the Syrian president could be cooling.
Iran, powers must end nuclear talks deadlock: FM
AFP: Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday that it was time to end the country’s long standoff with world powers over its disputed nuclear programme.
Internet ayatollah: Iran’s supreme leader “likes” Facebook
Reuters: Facebook – banned in Iran due to its use by activists to rally government opponents in 2009 – has an unlikely new member: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran military plans more drills in Strait of Hormuz soon
Reuters: Iran plans to hold military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas shipping route, by next March, Iranian media quoted a commander from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as saying on Monday.
NATO rejects Iranian accusations on missile deployment in Turkey
Reuters: NATO’s secretary-general on Monday rejected charges by Iran’s armed forces chief that the Western alliance was risking a world war with plans to put Patriot anti-missile systems near Turkey’s border with Syria, saying the move was purely defensive.
Iran says it got 2 more US drones in past missions
AP: The naval chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claims Iranian forces had captured at least two other U.S. drones before unveiling a purportedly downed ScanEagle craft earlier this month.
Mooted IAEA-Iran ‘deal’ just the beginning: analysts
AFP: The UN atomic agency, after a year of false starts, finally expects to sign a long-elusive deal with Iran on January 16, but that will be the easy part, experts say.
Argentina slaps $6 mn fine on HSBC subsidiary
AFP: Just last week, officials in the United State found that HSBC’s parent flouted US sanctions on Iran and other countries and laundered Mexican drug money to build its business, and hit it with a massive $1.92 billion in fines.
