AFP: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will caution Russia during a visit here this week that its close work on Iran’s nuclear program could come at a heavy price, the liberal business daily Kommersant reported Tuesday. Rice, who was due to arrive here later Tuesday for a two-day visit to include talks with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, “will try to persuade Russia not to hinder US moves” should tensions with Iran increase, the daily commented, … Rice to push Russia on Iran: report
AFP: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will caution Russia during a visit here this week that its close work on Iran’s nuclear program could come at a heavy price, the liberal business daily Kommersant reported Tuesday. Rice, who was due to arrive here later Tuesday for a two-day visit to include talks with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, “will try to persuade Russia not to hinder US moves” should tensions with Iran increase, the daily commented, … Facing Global Sanctions, Iran Uses Oil Fields to Seek Alliances
New York Times: As it faces the threat of global sanctions from the United States and Europe because of suspicions that it is turning its nuclear program to weapons production, Iran is fighting back with a powerful weapon of its own: its vast oil and gas resources. Iran’s ruling clerics are meticulously arranging energy sales and building partnerships with influential countries, including China and India, as a way to win stronger friendships around the world.
Iran stalls in probe of nuke smuggling – diplomats
Reuters: Tehran is not cooperating fully with a probe by the U.N. nuclear watchdog into Iranian officials’ meetings with smugglers who had links to Pakistani atom bomb-maker Abdul Qadeer Khan, diplomats said on Monday. The diplomats said the meetings in 1987 and 1994 were key to help determine whether Iran’s programme was originally intended to produce electricity, as Tehran insists, or to make bombs, as Washington maintains.
Iran records over 10,000 HIV/AIDS cases
AFP: Some 10,265 people in Iran are infected with the HIV virus and another 390 have full-blown AIDS, according to health ministry figures reported in the press on Monday. According to the statistics, intravenous drug use is still the main cause of infection, narrowly followed by sexual contact. Iran shuts Arabic TV over coverage of ethnic clashes
AFP: Iran on Monday ordered the Arabic satellite television Al-Jazeera to “temporarily close” its Tehran bureau after controversy over its coverage of ethnic clashes, officials said. “We have ordered the temporary closure of the Al-Jazeera bureau,” Mohammad Hossein Khoshvaght, director general of the culture and Islamic guidance ministry, told AFP. Iran ‘will not recognise Israel’ even with Mideast peace deal
AFP: Iran will never recognise Israel even if there is a peace deal with the Palestinians and they have their own state, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said on Sunday. “Even if you envisage this impossible hypothesis, (and) to recognise a state is part of Iran’s diplomatic right, in absolutely no case will Iran recognise the Zionist regime,” he told journalists. Iran says US should keep away from nuclear talks
AFP: The United States should remain a “spectator” in ongoing negotiations with Europe on Iran’s nuclear programme, the Islamic republic’s foreign ministry said on Sunday. “For the moment, it’s best for the Americans to follow the process from the grandstand as spectators, and leave negotiators to do their job,” said spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi. 2.8 million Iraqis petition warns of Iran domination
Iran Focus: Baghdad, Apr. 17 Leaders and representatives of 11 Iraqi political parties and groups unveiled a petition signed by 2.8 million Iraqis, sharply criticising neighbouring Irans rising meddling in Iraq and warning of the spectre of Islamic fundamentalisms stealthy domination of their country. The announcement came in a conference yesterday in Baghdads Palestine Hotel in the presence of about 500 Iraqis representing political, social and cultural groups. 2.8 million Iraqis petition warns of Iran domination
Iran Focus: Baghdad, Apr. 17 Leaders and representatives of 11 Iraqi political parties and groups unveiled a petition signed by 2.8 million Iraqis, sharply criticising neighbouring Irans rising meddling in Iraq and warning of the spectre of Islamic fundamentalisms stealthy domination of their country. The announcement came in a conference yesterday in Baghdads Palestine Hotel in the presence of about 500 Iraqis representing political, social and cultural groups. Iran says EU nuclear incentives not enough
AFP: Iran said Saturday it had not seen enough incentivesfrom the European Union to pave the way for a deal over its controversial nuclear activities, ahead of a new round of talks next week. Senior negotiator Cyrus Nasseri warned that
Tehran would pull out of the talks with the so-called EU3 without tangible progress, but said nevertheless that the negotiations were on the right track.
