Bloomberg: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked three government ministers, including Oil Minister Masoud Mir-Kazemi, to step down as part of plans to combine some ministries.
Ahmadinejad fires Iran oil, industry ministers amid feud with Parliament
Iran cleric warns Ahmadinejad but says crisis over
AFP: The crisis in the higher echelons of Iran’s regime has “passed,” influential conservative cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Janati said on Friday, as he issued a veiled warning to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
ANALYSIS-Arab dynasties lure Jordan, Morocco into anti-Iran bloc
Reuters: Rich Gulf Arab dynasties have reacted to upheaval in the Arab world by inviting fellow monarchies Jordan and Morocco to join their club as they seek ways to combat domestic unrest and a perceived Iranian threat.
France dismisses terror probe of Iranian opposition group
Wall Street Journal: Preliminary charges of terrorism filed eight years ago against members and supporters of an umbrella Iranian opposition group have been dismissed by investigating magistrates looking into the case, French officials said Thursday.
EU to blacklist Iranian-owned bank, says Berlin official
AFP: The EU is set to blacklist a German-based Iranian-owned bank which it believes is involved in the Islamic republic’s secret nuclear weapons’ programme, a German government official said Friday.
Gulf troops to stay in Bahrain to protect against ‘Iran threat’
Bloomberg: Troops from Persian Gulf nations will remain in Bahrain to protect the Sunni-monarchy against an Iranian threat and “saboteurs and thugs,” the Bahrain News Agency said, citing the commander of the Bahrain Defense Force.
Trial of American hikers charged with espionage in Iran is unexpectedly delayed
New York Times: The trial of three Americans charged with espionage and illegal entry in Iran after their arrest almost two years ago near the border with Iraqi Kurdistan failed to resume in Tehran on Wednesday, and their Iranian lawyer said he had formally protested the delay.
AP Exclusive: Big powers, Iran spar over nukes
AP: Iran wants a new round of talks with six world powers to focus on a host of issues including its rights as a nation, and even high-seas piracy, instead of international fears that it’s building a nuclear bomb, according to confidential letters obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Syria expels US journalist to Iran: Syrian embassy
AFP: Damascus expelled an American journalist working for Al-Jazeera to Iran after she tried to enter Syria illegally on an expired Iranian passport, the Syrian embassy said in a statement Wednesday.
Ahmadinejad in bitter row over Iran’s ministries
AFP: A blazing row has erupted between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and parliament speaker Ali Larijani over the restructuring of ministries, media reports said on Thursday, in a fresh sign of tension in Iran’s ruling conservative camp.
