AP: Iran has played many political roles in Baghdad since the fall of Saddam Hussein: spoiler to American-crafted administrations, haven for Iraqi political outcasts and big brother to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Shiite-led government.
Iran rallies to aid of Iraq’s embattled leader
IAEA sees demolition at Iran site, new talks set
Reuters: Satellite images indicate buildings are being demolished and soil removed at Parchin, an Iranian military site the U.N. nuclear watchdog wants to visit, its chief said on Monday.
UN nuke chief to meet with Iranian officials
AP: The U.N. nuclear agency chief on Monday announced new talks with Iran and urged it to sign a deal that would relaunch his long-stalled probe into suspicions that Tehran worked secretly on atomic arms.
Senior US official: Iran sanctions are biting
AP: A senior U.S. official says sanctions on Iran are biting, but more will be done to pressure the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.
UN atomic agency urges Iran to sign nuclear deal
AFP: The head of the UN nuclear agency urged Iran on Monday to sign a deal allowing greater clarity on its disputed nuclear drive and announced that new talks with Tehran would be held this week.
Access to Iran site to top agenda at IAEA board
AFP: Iran’s suspected nuclear drive will top the agenda when the UN atomic agency’s governors meet this week in Vienna, aiming to get unlimited IAEA access to a key Iranian military base.
Russia and EU tackle differences on Syria, Iran
AFP: President Vladimir Putin faced a coordinated Western push Sunday to shift Russia’s stance on Syria as he hosted EU chiefs for a private dinner ahead of a summit also clouded by rifts on Iran.
Iran sanctions ‘will fuel hatred’
PA: Iran’s Supreme Leader has said sanctions from Western powers will not stop his country’s progress but will only deepen hatred of the West in the hearts of the Iranian people.
‘Thunder’ will fall on Israel if it attacks: Iran
AFP: Any attack by Israel on Iran will blow back on the Jewish state “like thunder,” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Sunday.
Iraq cabinet approves $117 million sewage deal with Iran’s ICG
Bloomberg: Iraq’s Cabinet approved a contract valued at 136 billion dinars ($117 million) with Iran’s ICG to reconstruct the sewage system in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, State Minister Ali Al-Dabbagh said.
