Wall Street Journal: We never thought we’d say this, but thank heaven for French foreign-policy exceptionalism. At least for the time being, François Hollande’s Socialist government has saved the West from a deal that would all but guarantee that Iran becomes a nuclear power.
Vive la France on Iran
Iran denies it scuttled nuclear talks
AFP: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday denied US claims that the Islamic republic had scuttled nuclear talks in Geneva, pointing instead to France as the culprit.
Oil prices rise after Iran nuclear talks stall
AFP: Oil prices rose on Monday after marathon talks in Geneva aimed at convincing Iran to curb its disputed nuclear program ended without an agreement.
Iraq must free 7 Camp Ashraf hostages
The Diplomat: On October 28, I joined a cross-party panel at a conference in Church House, Westminster, with dozens of my colleagues from both Houses of Parliament to talk about Iran and what we, in the U.K., can do in the face of appalling atrocities committed by the Iranian regime.
Britain, Iran name envoys on path to restoring ties
AFP: Britain and Iran on Monday named non-resident charges d’affaires to each other’s capitals, with London’s envoy to visit Tehran this month to start mending ties severed by the ransacking of the British embassy in 2011.
Kerry returns to Washington to defend possible Iran deal
UPI: The White House will make “absolutely certain” Iran “never has a nuclear weapon,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said before returning to Washington Monday. He was to return a day before appearing before skeptical lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
‘Vive la France!’ say US opponents of Iran nuclear deal
AFP: Conservative US leaders, fond of finger-pointing at France in recent years, lavished praise on Paris Sunday for blocking an agreement between Western powers and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Tehran schools ordered shut over air pollution
AFP: Air pollution has forced Iranian authorities to close elementary schools and kindergartens in Tehran province for three days from Sunday, the state broadcaster said.
U.S. lawmakers seek tighter Iran sanctions before any deal
Reuters: U.S. lawmakers said on Sunday they aimed to tighten sanctions on Iran to prevent Washington giving away too much in a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program that diplomats said was still possible despite the failure of high-level weekend talks.
Report: Gunman kills Iranian deputy minister
AP: Iran’s official news agency is reporting that a gunman has shot and killed a deputy industry minister. The report Sunday by IRNA said Safdar Rahmatabadi was shot twice in head and chest that night in an eastern neighborhood of Tehran.
