Iran keen on joint air drills with neighbors

Xinhua: Iran’s air force is ready to conduct joint military exercises with neighboring states, Lieutenant Commander of Iran’s air force Brigadier General Alireza Barkhor was quoted as saying by semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday.

Question on Iran sanctions still complicates senate

Wall Street Journal: The push to force a Senate vote on a new round of sanctions on Iran may have eased in recent weeks, but it’s still serving as an obstacle as senators conduct their daily business.

Lew tells AIPAC: Sanctions have worked

The Hill: Treasury Secretary Jack Lew spoke Israel’s top lobbying organization on Sunday. Lew sought to reassure the crowd that the sanctions regime was still largely in place and crippling Iran’s economy.

Ukraine crisis may thwart Obama plans from Iran to China

Bloomberg: The Ukraine crisis jeopardizes President Barack Obama’s efforts to enlist Russia’s cooperation on a range of issues, including seeking an end to Syria’s civil war, halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and facilitating the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from Afghanistan.

Minister admits Iran cannot block Facebook forever

AFP: Iran will not be able to keep up forever its ban on legal access to Internet hubs such as Facebook, which has four million Iranian users, Culture Minister Ali Janati said Sunday.

Paris conference on International Women Day

Ground Report: Women activists from around the globe joined with prominent women politicians and dignitaries from Europe and the US to reject the notion that Iran’s new President, Hassan Rouhani, is a moderate or has any moderate agenda.

Iran retracts announcement of abducted soldiers’ release

AFP: An Iranian general on Sunday retracted his earlier announcement that five border soldiers abducted by rebels and reportedly taken into Pakistan have been released, state media said.

Iran advancing its nuclear program despite pact with West

USA TODAY: Iran is moving ahead with a nuclear program that U.S. officials said would be frozen, and it is now clear the USA and other world powers are willing to accept an Iranian enrichment program that Iran refuses to abandon, say analysts.

Iran continues its campaign of deception over its nuclear program

International Business Times: Iran is engaged in a public media campaign of deception to mislead U.S. and European negotiators into believing that Tehran is candidly debating the nuclear deal.

Rouhani tells Iran generals to cut hostile rhetoric

Reuters: President Hassan Rouhani urged Iran’s military leaders on Saturday to let diplomacy prevail in dealing with potential foreign threats, in a clear reference to efforts to end the nuclear dispute and decades of hostile relations with the West.