Augusta Free Press: I am lucky for being able to flee the Iranian dictatorship’s evil. Sadly, however, there are thousands of such people stranded and desperate for escape in and around my homeland. They have experienced far worse than I did as a teenager living in Iran.
Camp Liberty: Left at the mercy of a murderous regime
US must reconsider approach to Iran
The Hill: The Obama administration in particular seems to be thoroughly committed to a soft approach to negotiations, and is far too willing to take the regime’s representatives at their word when they say that they will agree to a compromise. The Iranian government is not trustworthy on these issues.
Moderate earthquake jolts southern Iran
AP: Iran’s state TV says a magnitude 5.3 earthquake has jolted a sparsely populated district in the south of the country. The quake was moderate and no injuries were reported. The TV says the quake struck in Shonbeh on Thursday morning, at 04:01 a.m. local time (Wednesday 23:31 GMT).
Right to reject Abutelabi
The Hill: Much is being made inside the Beltway about the appointment of Hamid Abutalebi as Iran’s next ambassador to the United Nations. He is accused–by several of the former American hostages–of taking an active role in their abduction and brutal captivity.
Iran foreign minister to visit Russia next week
AFP: Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will travel to Russia next week for a meeting of the countries that border the Caspian Sea, the official IRNA news agency reported. “Mr Zarif will arrive in Russia on Tuesday”, Iran’s ambassador to Russia wrote on his Facebook page.
Iran testing U.S. with U.N. nominee
US News and World Report: Iran’s choice to fill a U.N. post with a reported participant in the 1979 U.S. embassy takeover and subsequent hostage crisis in Tehran may have been a test shot designed to see how many allowances the White House would make before imposing hard lines against Iran.
US: No visa for Iran UN envoy over hostage crisis ‘role’
AFP: “Given his role in the events of 1979, which clearly matter profoundly to the American people, it would be unacceptable for the United States to grant this visa,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
Official: Iran will not discuss missile program
AP: Iran’s defense minister says Tehran will not discuss its ballistic missiles as part of ongoing talks with world powers on a final agreement to curb the Iranian nuclear program. Ballistic missile can be used to deliver nuclear warheads.
Syria rebels get US-made missiles: source
AFP: Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad for the first time received at least 20 US-made TOW anti-tank missiles from a “Western source,” a rebel official told AFP Tuesday. Fighters from the Hazm movement have received more than 20 TOW anti-tank missiles from a Western source.
Iran says oil barter deal with Russia very hard to seal
Reuters: Iran and Russia will find it hard to agree any oil or gas trade deal because they are rivals in both markets, Iran’s deputy oil minister for international trade said on Monday. Iran and Russia have been discussing various ways of increasing bilateral trade.
