AP: This should be the time of year that nut shop owner Mohammad Ahmadi counts his profits, after the recent Persian new year holiday when Iranians scarf up huge amounts of their iconic snack, pistachios.
Iranians rebel over price of beloved pistachio
At the U.N., Iran is a powerhouse, not a pariah
Wall Street Journal: President Obama likes to describes Iran as “isolated.” But there is nothing lonely about Iran’s berth at the United Nations, where in the corridors and on the boards of powerful agencies, the Islamic Republic has been cultivating its own mini-empire.
The best red line for a nuclear Iran
Washington Post: As the great powers contemplate a solution to the Iranian nuclear conundrum, they would be prudent to appreciate how Tehran uses diplomacy to complement its quest for nuclear arms.
Bahraini given 10-year jail term for spying for Iran
AFP: A Bahraini accused of spying for Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards unit has had his 10-year jail sentence confirmed by a court of appeal, the state news agency BNA reported.
Sanctions push Iran inflation above 30 percent
Reuters: Iran’s inflation rate has climbed above 30 percent under the impact of international economic sanctions, according to figures released by the government’s statistics centre.
North Korean secrecy on bomb test fuels speculation on nuclear advances
Washington Post: The United States was already concerned about an agreement between North Korea and Iran pledging technical and scientific cooperation.
Over 50 Iranian tourists visit southern Egypt
AP: More than 50 Iranian tourists visited sites in southern Egypt on Sunday amid tight security as part of a bilateral tourism promotion deal that has generated some controversy.
Iran sanctions spur boom for Pakistani diesel smugglers
Reuters: Some of the contraband is spirited across the mountains in Pepsi bottles carried by child smugglers. Yet more is loaded into pick-up trucks or siphoned into barrels and strapped onto mules.
Israel can only rely on self against Iran threat: PM
AFP: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel cannot rely on any other country, even an ally, when it comes to facing up to the perceived nuclear threat from Iran.
Iran to boost gas exports in efforts to cut oil sales reliance
Bloomberg: Iran plans increase its natural gas exports as a way to diminish its reliance on crude sales, a senior Iranian Oil Ministry official said. Iran’s gas exports total 10 billion cubic meters per year, he said.
