AP: A recent visit by the commander of Iran’s elite Quds force to Damascus is the strongest sign yet that Iran is supplying weapons to aid Bashar Assad’s crackdown on the Syrian people, a senior Obama administration official said Tuesday.
US: Strong signs Iran is giving Syria weapons
Iran rejects French charge of arms to Syria
AFP: Iran on Tuesday denied an allegation from France that it was sending weapons to its ally Syria in violation of a UN embargo.
South Korea frets as U.S. ups oil pressure on Iran
Reuters: South Korea, a key U.S. ally, warned the United States on Tuesday it would be difficult to replace Iranian crude supplies and expressed concern that sanctions pressure could lead to higher oil prices.
Iran cracks down on dollar trades
Wall Street Journal: Iranian authorities sent police into the streets of the capital Monday to crack down on informal currency trading and support the rial, signaling Iranians’ heightened insecurity over their dwindling buying power and Tehran’s increasingly hard-handed efforts to stave off economic panic.
Iran face-off testing Obama the candidate
New York Times: The escalating American confrontation with Iran poses a major new political threat to President Obama as he heads into his campaign for re-election, presenting him with choices that could harm either the economic recovery or his image as a firm leader.
Iran threat should prompt Keystone rethink- Harper
Reuters: Iran’s threat to block the main oil shipping route out of the Gulf points to why the United States should approve the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Monday.
Iran cracks down on moral peril of Barbie peddlers
Reuters: Iran’s morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values, shopkeepers said on Monday.
Saudi Arabia doubts Iran oil blockade claim
Reuters: Saudi Arabia on Monday expressed doubts over Iran’s claim it could block the main oil shipping route out of the Gulf and made clear it was ready to pump more oil after sanctions threatened to cut Iranian sales of crude.
UK banks scrutinise partners for ties to Iran
Reuters: Banks in Britain are poring over relationships with financial partners in fear of falling foul of fresh international sanctions against Iran.
Iran to give US a model of downed American drone
AP: Iranian state radio says Tehran will give the United States a model of the American surveillance drone captured by the Islamic Republic.
