Reuters: U.N. nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano complained on Thursday about Iran’s lack of cooperation with his inspectors, four days before long-stalled talks resume between Tehran and major powers.
IAEA laments lack of Iran cooperation before talks
Iran talks tough ahead of nuclear talks
AFP: Iran has adopted a tough and uncompromising stance ahead of new nuclear talks with world powers, whom the Islamic republic has blamed for deadly attacks on senior scientists in its atomic programme.
ANALYSIS-Arms saga risks denting Iran’s Africa quest
Reuters: The seizure of weapons from Iran in a Nigerian port, a stand-off with suspects holed up in an embassy and a paper trail leading to the farm of a West African leader bear the hallmarks of a great thriller.
Iran chokes as politics delay Metro expansion
Reuters: Tehran is choking. Gridlock on urban highways makes the city feel more like Los Angeles than the Middle East, while adding a toxic yellow halo of smog to otherwise perennially blue skies.
US officials: Significant progress made on Iran strategy
Dow Jones: Obama administration officials told a U.S. House hearing Wednesday that the U.S. sanctions strategy against Iran has made significant progress in isolating Tehran, but warned that vigilance is necessary to counter sanctions evasion.
US lawmaker warns of ‘evil twins’ Iran, NKorea
AFP: Iran and North Korea are “evil twins” separated at birth who have joined forces in pursuit of nuclear programs that could have devastating consequences, a senior US lawmaker charged Wednesday.
EU powers say Iran on path of “confrontation”
Reuters: Three European Union heavyweights accused Iran on Thursday of continuing “down the path of non-compliance and confrontation” with its nuclear work, four days before world powers are to resume talks with Tehran.
US lawmakers fume over China’s Iran links
AFP: US lawmakers united Wednesday in anger over China’s insidious links with Iran, but also blamed Washington for failing to impose sanctions on Beijing for aiding Tehran’s nuclear program.
Freed American releases song written in Iran jail
AP: An American woman freed from an Iranian prison has released a song she hopes will build support for the release of her friends who remain jailed in that country.
Sanctions cost Iran $60 billion in oil investments, Burns says
Bloomberg: Tougher U.S. sanctions on Iran are costing the Islamic regime as much as $60 billion in lost energy investments, Undersecretary of State William Burns said today.
