AFP: Iraq is treading carefully in its response to Syria’s deadly crackdown on protesters, balancing its ties to Iran, which backs Damascus, and international condemnation of Syria, officials and analysts say.
Iraq treads carefully with Syria unrest
Iranian gas flow to Turkey halted by blast
Reuters: Iranian gas flow to Turkey has been halted due to an explosion on the pipeline in Turkey overnight and repairs have been started which will take one week, a Turkish Energy Ministry official told Reuters on Friday.
Azerbaijan arrests ‘Iranian-backed Islamists’
AFP: Police in Azerbaijan have arrested three Islamic activists who were seeking to install a theocracy in the mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic with funding from Iranian radicals, officials said Friday.
Iran says Syria needs backing in face of U.S., Donya reports
Bloomberg: The Syrian government must be supported, as a NATO attack on the country, which is cracking down on its dissidents, would further destabilize the Middle East, a senior member of the Iranian parliament said, Donya-e- Eqtesad reported.
UK tells Iran happy to talk human rights after riot criticism
Reuters: Britain told Iran on Thursday it was happy to discuss its handling of street unrest after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused its police of “savage” aggression against demonstrators.
India IOC says paying for Iran oil through Turkey bank
Reuters: India’s top state-run refiner , Indian Oil Corp Ltd, said on Wednesday it had begun paying its debt to Iran for oil imports and would clear an outstanding of 380 million euros this month using an arrangement with a state-controlled bank in Turkey.
Ahmadinejad urges UN to react on Britain riot
AP: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday urged the U.N. Security Council to take action over the rioting in Britain, arguing it was hypocritical in its reaction to such events.
US Senators urge sanctions on Iran finances
AFP: An overwhelming majority of the US Senate urged President Barack Obama on Tuesday to impose “crippling sanctions” on Iran’s financial system in a bid to hinder its suspect nuclear program.
Iran uses riots as propaganda
Sky News: The shocking reality of violence and looting across British have been seen by people all over the world – even in Iran, where the scenes were being used as propaganda.
Dutch citizen arrested in NJ over Iran shipments
AP: Federal authorities in New Jersey have charged a citizen of the Netherlands with conspiring to ship aircraft parts and other items from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. law.
