AFP: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned on Saturday that US adversaries would be "sorely mistaken" to test Barack Obama's resolve in the Gulf as Iran shunned a regional security conference.

The Guardian: To its director, cast and seasoned critics, it is a tale of sporting redemption redolent of the Rocky Balboa character played by Sylvester Stallone – an ageing wrestler down on his luck staging an against-the-odds comeback for one last stirring victory.

Wall Street Journal: Defense Secretary Robert Gates has long advocated diplomatic engagement with Iran, an idea that is also a top priority of the incoming Obama administration.

Reuters: Iran has reached an initial agreement for Australia's Union Resources Ltd to build a zinc production plant worth $1.2 billion in central Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported on Friday.

Reuters: A senior Iranian cleric described President-elect Barack Obama on Friday as a novice who was adopting old U.S. tactics of "deception and fraud," underscoring Iran's skepticism about prospects for change in U.S. policy.

UPI: The European Parliament vice president called on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to ensure the continued U.S. protection of Iranian dissidents in Iraq.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Dec. 11 – The deputy director general of Russia’s fifth-largest crude oil producer Gazprom Neft announced on Tuesday that the company is interested in developing Iran’s South Azadegan oil field, southern Iran, state media reported.