Reuters: Japan may cut Iranian crude oil imports by a more-than-expected 20 percent as it seeks a waiver from U.S. sanctions, a newspaper reported on Thursday, a move which would spare its banks from a major blow but could boost its already rising fuel import bill.

Bloomberg: Iran’s refusal to let United Nations experts investigate allegations of illicit nuclear activities at a military base doesn’t inspire confidence for a return to negotiations with the international community, U.S. officials and nuclear-proliferation specialists said.

AP: The tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have pitted the West against the world’s third-biggest oil exporter.

AP: Oil prices rose Wednesday on the expectation that world supplies could be squeezed further because of ongoing tensions with Iran.

Bloomberg: Oil rose to a nine-month high as officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency were denied access to an Iranian military base and said negotiations “couldn’t finalize a way forward.”

AFP: The White House expressed disappointment Wednesday that Iran had made no progress in its dealings with UN nuclear inspectors, branding the fruitless visit a “failure” on Tehran’s part.

Reuters: The presidents of Russia and Iran said on Wednesday the crisis in Syria must be resolved peacefully without foreign intervention, according to a Kremlin statement.

CNN: Inspectors for the International Atomic Energy Agency left Iran on Tuesday unable to fully investigate Iran’s nuclear program.