AP: Israeli officials say they won’t warn the U.S. if they decide to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to one U.S. intelligence official familiar with the discussions.
AP source: Israel won’t warn US before Iran strike
Macquarie says Iran situation is unique; may worsen oil situation for India
Bloomberg: The global crude oil picture is a worrying one. In an interview with Bloomberg UTV, Jal Irani, Managing Director – Oil & Gas Research, Macquarie Group said crude imports may climb to $170 billion annually.
Iran ups repression of dissent ahead of vote: Amnesty
AFP: Iran has escalated its crackdown on freedom of expression ahead of this week’s parliamentary election, Amnesty International said in a report published on Tuesday.
HSBC says it may face criminal charges for transactions
Reuters: HSBC Holdings Plc said on Monday it will likely face criminal or civil charges from an expanding investigation into its ties to allegedly illegal money transactions, including some tied to Iran.
AP Exclusive: US soldier killed by Shiite group
AP: A Shiite extremist group handed over a simple wooden casket containing the remains of the last U.S. soldier missing in Iraq, a prominent Iraqi lawmaker said Monday, drawing a close to a case that has anguished the American’s family since his 2006 disappearance.
Thai police quiz three more Iranians over bomb plot
AFP: Thai police said on Monday they were questioning three more Iranians in connection with an alleged plot to kill Israeli diplomats in Bangkok.
Iranian opposition asks for appeals court action
AP: An Iranian opposition group on Monday asked a federal appeals court to order its removal from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations and says the status is putting its members long exiled in Iraq at risk.
‘A Separation’: Iran society, mirrored in taut drama
AFP: “A Separation”, the Iranian film that Sunday picked up the Oscar for best foreign language film, hides a deep social expose of the Islamic republic of today behind the veneer of a taut family drama.
India goes its own way on Iran’s nuclear program: Pankaj Mishra
Bloomberg: India, the Wall Street Journal claimed recently, is the Iranian mullahs’ “last best friend” for continuing to buy oil from, and trade with, Iran. Questioning why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “hasn’t already curtailed dealings with the Islamic Republic,” the Journal wondered if it has to do with the Indian fear of “pushy Westerners.”
Japan’s Iran crude imports fall 12.2 pct yr/yr in Jan
Reuters: Japan’s customs-cleared crude imports from Iran fell by 12.2 percent in January from the same month a year ago to 1.70 million kilolitres (345,000 barrels per day), Ministry of Finance data showed on Monday.
