AFP: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah have had telephonic discussions on regional affairs for a second time within a fortnight, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported Thursday.
Ahmadinejad, Saudi King talk again on politics: report
US announces massive arms sale to Saudi Arabia
AFP: In its biggest arms deal ever, the United States announced Wednesday it will sell up to 60 billion dollars worth of warplanes, helicopters and other weapons to Saudi Arabia, partly to help it counter Iran.
Foreigners buy Iran shares at three times pace as rules change
Bloomberg: Foreigners bought three times as many shares in Iran’s publicly traded companies in the past six months as they did a year earlier after the authorities changed the rules to attract international investors.
Iran has 30 kg of high level uranium: atomic chief
AFP: Iran said on Wednesday it has produced around 30 kilogrammes of 20 percent-enriched uranium, in defiance of UN sanctions imposed on Tehran to suspend the contentious nuclear work.
Italy’s crude imports from Iran up 85 percent
Reuters: Italy’s imports of crude oil from Iran surged 84.6 percent year-on-year to 6.12 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2010, Italy’s industry group Unione Petrolifera (UP) said on Wednesday.
Chavez signs major energy deals with Iran
AFP: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez left Iran late Wednesday after signing 11 deals focused on energy cooperation between the two major oil producers who are foes of the United States, state television said.
Turkish banks hesitant about Iran dealings-Babacan
Reuters: Turkish banks have become somewhat hesitant about dealing with Iran but Turkey has left decisions on whether to pull back following U.S. and European sanctions up to them, a Turkish official said on Wednesday.
Iran secretly trying to establish banks in Muslim nations
Washington Post: Iran is secretly trying to set up banks in Muslim countries around the world, including Iraq and Malaysia, using dummy names and opaque ownership structures to skirt sanctions that have increasingly curtailed the Islamic republic’s global banking activities, U.S. officials say.
Kuwait drama stirs debate on Gulf Arab ties to Iran
Reuters: When Karim arrives in Kuwait to pay his condolences over a brother-in-law’s death, his sister leans towards him and tells him tearfully in Farsi: “Here it’s not allowed to enter the quarters of grieving women.”
US envoy in Turkey to press Iran sanctions
AFP: A top US envoy will hold two days of talks with Turkish government and banking officials in a bid to strengthen cooperation on sanctions against Iran, the US embassy said Wednesday.
