Reuters: The United States and European Union denounced Iran Tuesday at the top U.N. human rights body for its bloody crackdowns on peaceful protests and other violations since disputed presidential elections a year ago.
U.S., EU blast Iran’s rights abuses at U.N. forum
US denies kidnapping Iranian nuclear scientist
AFP: The United States Tuesday denied kidnapping an Iranian nuclear scientist, as Tehran said it would press for his release, alleging he was being held against his will in Tucson, Arizona.
Iraqi Kurds seek help to halt Iranian incursion
Reuters: Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region on Tuesday demanded the central government in Baghdad take steps against an incursion into its territory by Iranian forces pursuing Kurdish rebels.
US says allies could go further on Iran sanctions
Reuters: U.S. allies are prepared to implement sanctions against Iran that go “well beyond” those contained in a U.N. resolution that looks set to be adopted in the coming days, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.
Gates expects UN sanctions on Iran adopted ‘very soon’
AFP: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday he expects new United Nations sanctions on Iran over its atomic programme to be agreed “very soon”.
Iran summons Swiss envoy over US “abduction” of scientist
Reuters: Iran summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran on Tuesday and handed over documents which it says showed a missing Iranian nuclear scientist had been kidnapped by the United States, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Iran sanctions ‘practically agreed upon’: Putin
AFP: Fresh UN sanctions against Iran over its suspect nuclear programme have been “practically agreed upon”, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying here by Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency.
U.S. presses its case against Iran ahead of sanctions vote
New York Times: With a vote on new sanctions against Iran only days away, the Obama administration is making the case to members of the United Nations Security Council that Iran has revived elements of its program to design nuclear weapons that American intelligence agencies previously concluded had gone dormant.
Iran opens first women-only bank branch
AFP: Iran has opened a women-only branch of a bank in the religious northeastern city of Mashhad in a bid to promote Islamic culture, newspapers reported on Tuesday.
Iran says key nuclear scientist being held in US
AFP: Iran said Tuesday it will use legal channels to secure the release of its nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, who in a video clip screened on Iranian television channels said he was kidnapped by US agents.
