Wall Street Journa: European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili open a fresh round of talks here Tuesday on Iran’s nuclear program, ending a long diplomatic skirmish that has exasperated European officials.
On Iran, Europe hopes still trump frustrations
Iran says it downed drone
UPI: A general in the Revolutionary Guards Corps said a foreign surveillance drone was shot down on the first day of military exercises in Iran.
Iran reports death of Revolutionary Guards officer
AP: An Iranian semi-official news agency is reporting that a commander of the Revolutionary Guards has been killed in the country’s Kurdish northwest.
Kerry makes first foreign trip as top U.S. diplomat
Reuters: John Kerry views his first trip as U.S. secretary of state as a listening tour, but the leaders he meets will want to hear whether he has any new ideas on Syria, Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The UN’s role in Baghdad’s killing fields
The Telegraph: New York’s former mayor, Rudy Giuliani, made an impassioned speech, calling on Ban Ki-moon to fire Mr Kobler, saying that Camp Liberty was “not only a concentration camp, it’s a killing field”, and that it was Kobler who had “permitted it to become a killing field”.
Iran probes diplomat’s defection in Norway
AFP: Iran said Saturday it is investigating the reported defection of one of its diplomats in Norway, with a spokesman suggesting it was due to personal problems, Mehr news agency said.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard begins 3-day military exercises in south
AP: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has begun a three-day ground and air military exercise aimed at upgrading its combat readiness. State TV says the drills involve ground forces of the Guard, Iran’s most powerful military force, around the city of Sirjan in the country’s south.
Iran refuses to go beyond nuclear obligations
AFP: Iran said Saturday it will not go beyond its obligations or accept anything outside its rights under the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), ahead of talks with major powers on its disputed nuclear drive.
Iran selects 16 sites for new nuclear plants
AP: Iran has selected 16 locations for the construction of nuclear power plants as part of a plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity at multiple sites over the next 15 years.
Iran announces uranium discovery days before nuclear talks
Reuters: Iran said it has found significant new deposits of raw uranium to feed its nuclear program and has identified sites for 16 more nuclear power stations, just days before talks with Western powers over its disputed atomic program.
