AP: Iran’s Supreme Leader said Saturday that his country is not seeking nuclear weapons, but that no world power could stop Tehran’s access to an atomic bomb if it intended to build one.
Iranian leader: Iran not seeking nuclear weapons
Iran bans pistachio exports to control price hike
AP: Iran has ordered a six-month ban on pistachio exports to try to control the price of the nut, which doubled in the past month. Iran was long the world’s largest pistachio exporter, with over 200,000 tons a year, but was surpassed last year by the United States.
Turkey-Iran gold trade wiped out by new U.S. sanctions
Reuters: Tighter U.S. sanctions are killing off Turkey’s gold-for-gas trade with Iran and have stopped state-owned lender Halkbank from processing other nations’ energy payments to the OPEC oil producer, bankers said on Friday.
Iran’s bid to buy banned magnets stokes fears about major expansion of nuclear capacity
Washington Post: Iran recently sought to acquire tens of thousands of highly specialized magnets used in centrifuge machines, according to experts and diplomats, a sign that the country may be planning a major expansion of its nuclear program that could shorten the path to an atomic weapons capability.
Iranian Guards commander killed in Syria
Reuters: An Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander has been killed inside Syria by rebels battling Iran’s close ally President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian officials and a rebel leader said on Thursday.
Iran denies transferring arms to Somali militants
AP: Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council obtained Thursday by The Associated Press that the allegations in a report by experts monitoring sanctions against Somalia and Eritrea were part of a “malicious campaign.”
US lawmakers urge release of Christian in Iran
AFP: US lawmakers on Thursday pressed for the release of an Iranian-American pastor imprisoned in Tehran over his work with underground churches, urging the use of all diplomatic efforts.
Iran sought nuclear parts in China: report
AFP: Iran tried to smuggle thousands of specialized magnets through China for its centrifuges, in an effort to speed its path to reaching nuclear weapons capability, according to a new US report.
U.N. nuclear talks with Iran fail, no new meeting set
Reuters: U.N. inspectors returned on Thursday from talks in Tehran with no deal on reviving a nuclear investigation and no date for a new meeting, failing to produce even a small signal of hope for big power diplomacy aimed at averting a war.
Will this be the final year of the Iranian Regime?
The Independent: On Sunday, the Iranian regime marked the 34th anniversary of the Iranian revolution, yet the regime has little reason to celebrate. Facing growing international isolation, economic depression and social unrest, this year may be the bleakest in the regime’s history.
