Reuters: Two senior U.N. nuclear watchdog officials who have been leading talks with Iran will leave this year, potentially robbing it of experience and expertise in dealing with Tehran over its disputed atomic program.
U.N. nuclear watchdog team on Iran faces reshuffle
Iran boasts of oil export potential
UPI: Iran has a better opportunity to maintain a vibrant customer base for its oil products despite economic sanctions, Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said.
U.S. to announce $10 billion arms sale in Middle East
Bloomberg: The Obama administration is to announce a $10 billion arms package to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that will be the centerpiece of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s visit the countries next week, according to a U.S. official.
Iran dismisses Israel threat at Ahmadinejad’s last army parade
Reuters: Israeli threats to attack Iran’s nuclear sites are the harmless barking of a dog, Iran’s military said on Thursday, marking the last Army Day ceremony of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency with trademark acerbic rhetoric against the Jewish state.
Kerry asks for patience on U.S. Iran sanctions before election
Reuters: Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday asked senators pressing for tougher sanctions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions to be patient, saying there is uncertainty in the Islamic republic two months before its June 14 election.
Iran hit by second quake in days
AFP: A 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit northwestern Iran on Thursday, only days after a deadly temblor struck near the border with Pakistan, media reported citing the seismological centre at Tehran University.
Azeris to defy Iran with first Israel visit by foreign minister
Bloomberg: Azerbaijan will send its foreign minister to Israel next week for the first time since the majority Muslim nation on Iran’s northern border regained independence from the former Soviet Union 22 years ago.
Iran’s president slams ‘foreign presence’ in Gulf
AP: The Iranian president on Thursday slammed the West for its naval presence in the Persian Gulf while the country’s army commanders warned archenemy Israel against any military strikes on Iran.
Kerry resists as lawmakers urge pressuring China on Iran
Bloomberg: Secretary of State John Kerry sought to discourage lawmakers from pressuring China for further cuts in oil imports from Iran as a condition for renewing its waiver from U.S. economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani appears to rule out candidacy for Iranian election
The Guardian: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the embattled former president of Iran, has finally spoken openly about the rift between him and the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
