PoliticsHome: Qasem Soleimani is notorious for his role as the man behind Iran’s shadowy international terror plots and has been actively aiding the suppression of the Syrian uprising. Some claim he is “secretly running Iraq” and yet few noticed it in the West.
Take note of Tehran’s reaction to the West’s action on Syria
Bagfuls of cash show Iran currency squeeze behind nuclear thaw
Bloomberg: When Mohammad-Reza needed parts for his heater company in Iran last month, he carried a bagful of 500-euro notes on a plane to Dubai and paid his German supplier over coffee in a hotel lobby. Often, he says, he has to use even riskier channels.
Iran confirms British diplomat exchange
AFP: Iran confirmed Tuesday it will appoint a non-resident charge d’affaires with Britain, as the two sides work towards restoring ties severed after an attack on the British embassy in Tehran.
Iran nuclear weapons talks could set off a dangerous chain reaction in Tehran
PolicyMic: In the past month, the media and airwaves in the U.S. have been overflowing with euphoria about the prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran. If a nuclear accord proves to be a plausible, what concessions are the Iranian regime seeking to obtain from the U.S.?
Iran sentences veteran blogger to 6 years prison
AP: The semi-official Fars news agency said Khazali was sentenced to five years for conspiracy against the country’s security, and one year for spreading propaganda against the ruling system.
West unlikely to offer immediate sanctions relief in Iran talks
Reuters: With a week until negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program resume in Geneva, Western diplomats are playing down any suggestion that Iran’s new openness on the world stage will result in any immediate or broad loosening of sanctions.
Why U.S. is losing Iraq and why Iran can’t afford to
UPI: At times in U.S. history its leaders failed to “get the message” of a national security threat, suffering dire consequences as a result. In 1998, U.S. leaders paid no heed when a little known terrorist — Osama bin Laden — declared war against the country.
Official: Iran won’t unblock Facebook, Twitter
AP: Iran does not plan to unblock Facebook and Twitter for the general public even if some top government officials use it, the minister of telecommunications and information technology said Monday.
Rouhani has evealed his true nuclear intentions
Bloomberg: The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, the putative moderate on whose shoulders great American hopes have been placed, is proud of the work he did to advance his country’s nuclear program — and also of his efforts to stymie Western attempts to stop that work.
How not to negotiate with Iran
Wall Street Journal: How depressingly predictable: Iran lies and prevaricates—about the breadth of its nuclear programs; about their purpose; about the quality of its cooperation with U.N. nuclear watchdogs; about its record of sponsoring terrorism from Argentina to Bulgaria to Washington, …
