TIME: “We haven’t chosen these neighbors,” joked Afghanistan’s ambassador to the U.S., Said Tayeb Jawad, as he shined the red dot of a laser around the edges of a map of his homeland. He was addressing a room full of government analysts, scholars and journalists Wednesday, and when asked about Iran’s current influence in Afghanistan, the joking stopped. “Iran has become a more and more hostile power,” he said. Iran raises the heat in Afghanistan
TIME: “We haven’t chosen these neighbors,” joked Afghanistan’s ambassador to the U.S., Said Tayeb Jawad, as he shined the red dot of a laser around the edges of a map of his homeland. He was addressing a room full of government analysts, scholars and journalists Wednesday, and when asked about Iran’s current influence in Afghanistan, the joking stopped. “Iran has become a more and more hostile power,” he said. Iran car maker criticizes China bank moves: report
Reuters: Chinese moves to cut back banking business with Iran are affecting cooperation between China’s Chery Automobile Co and Iran Khodro, the Middle East’s biggest car maker, its head was quoted as saying on Friday.U.S. seeks support for sanctioning Iran
Washington Post: The Bush administration stepped up its campaign for tougher sanctions against Iran yesterday after a U.N. report concluded that Tehran had not fully come clean about past activities that U.S. experts say were part of a secret nuclear weapons program. Nuclear agency says Iran has used new technology
New York Times: The International Atomic Energy Agency described for the first time on Friday the evidence it has shown to Iran that strongly suggests the country had experimented with technologies to manufacture a nuclear weapon, but reported that Iranian officials had dismissed the documents as baseless and fabricated. Defiant Iran upbeat ahead of nuclear report
AFP: Iran on Friday remained defiant and positive ahead of a crucial UN nuclear watchdog report on its contested atomic programme, telling the UN Security Council to stay out of the nuclear crisis. IAEA: Iran disputes atomic arms evidence
AP: The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Friday that Iran is defying a U.N. Security Council ban on uranium enrichment and accusing the U.S. and its allies of fabricating information to back up claims that Tehran is making nuclear weapons. Iran nuclear plans of “serious concern”: U.N. body
Reuters: The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Friday Iran had failed to explain Western intelligence reports showing explosives and missile work linked to making atomic bombs and that this was a “serious concern”. Iran says new talks likely with U.S. soon on Iraq
Reuters: Iran and the United States were likely to hold a new round of talks soon about the security situation in Iraq, a senior Iranian official said on Friday. US keeps frustration at Russia in check as Iran sanctions loom
AFP: The United States revealed its frustration Friday at Russia’s “cynical policy” toward Kosovo but kept it in check with new sanctions against Iran looming, sanctions for which it needs Russian support. Iran says may get 10 percent of global gas market in 20 years
Bloomberg: Iran could supply 10 percent of the world’s natural gas demand within 20 years as the country ramps up production at new fields, according to Seyed Reza Kasaeizadeh, head of the National Iranian Gas Co. 