The Guardian: Iranian-backed Hizbullah and its opposition allies yesterday escalated their armed takeover of key areas of Lebanon held by the western-backed government, gaining control of the Druze heartlands of Mount Lebanon and clashing with pro-government Sunni fighters in the northern port city of Tripoli.
Hizbullah seizes key areas of Lebanon
U.N. and Iran hold talks on disputed nuclear work
Reuters: Iran and the U.N. atomic watchdog began talks on Monday on the Islamic state's disputed nuclear program, which the West fears is a front to build weapons, the official IRNA news agency reported. Iran hard-liners come out against Iraqi-US deal
AP: Two hard-line newspapers seen as speaking for Iran's clerical establishment called Monday for Iraqis to oppose a strategic framework deal with the United States, Tehran's first public condemnation of the arrangement. Drive in Basra by Iraqi army makes gains
New York Times: Three hundred miles south of Baghdad, the oil-saturated city of Basra has been transformed by its own surge, now seven weeks old. Iran sees no emergency OPEC meeting before September
Reuters: Iran does not expect OPEC to hold an emergency meeting before September, a senior Iranian oil official said on Monday, despite rising crude prices on world markets. Tehran, Damascus ascendant
Washington Times – Editorial: Make no mistake about it, the quick, brutal display of raw military power by Hezbollah in the past six days is a window into the grim future of Lebanon and the broader Middle East: a future in which Iran and Syria are ascendant and have lost much of their fear of the United States and Israel.
FEATURE-Smuggling to Iran rife in dangerous Gulf waters
Reuters: Smugglers pile boxes high on their speedboats, covering them with tarpaulin before zipping off into the sunset on the short but dangerous journey across the strategic Strait of Hormuz from Oman to Iran. Oil prices ease, above 125 dollars
AFP: World oil prices eased but remained above 125 dollars on Monday after an inflow of investment funds and supply worries helped push costs to another record high late last week, analysts said. Iran, IAEA to told new round of talks on Monday in Tehran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, May 11 – A "technical delegation" from the United Nations nuclear watchdog will told a new round of talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday, the official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.
Iran, IAEA to told new round of talks on Monday in Tehran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, May 11 – A "technical delegation" from the United Nations nuclear watchdog will told a new round of talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday, the official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.
