Reuters: Iran plans to hold military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas shipping route, by next March, Iranian media quoted a commander from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as saying on Monday.
Iran military plans more drills in Strait of Hormuz soon
NATO rejects Iranian accusations on missile deployment in Turkey
Reuters: NATO’s secretary-general on Monday rejected charges by Iran’s armed forces chief that the Western alliance was risking a world war with plans to put Patriot anti-missile systems near Turkey’s border with Syria, saying the move was purely defensive.
Iran says it got 2 more US drones in past missions
AP: The naval chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claims Iranian forces had captured at least two other U.S. drones before unveiling a purportedly downed ScanEagle craft earlier this month.
Mooted IAEA-Iran ‘deal’ just the beginning: analysts
AFP: The UN atomic agency, after a year of false starts, finally expects to sign a long-elusive deal with Iran on January 16, but that will be the easy part, experts say.
Argentina slaps $6 mn fine on HSBC subsidiary
AFP: Just last week, officials in the United State found that HSBC’s parent flouted US sanctions on Iran and other countries and laundered Mexican drug money to build its business, and hit it with a massive $1.92 billion in fines.
Iran ex-president son out on bail: prosecutor
AFP: The son of Iran’s former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was released on bail late on Sunday, the office of Tehran’s prosecutor said in a statement.
Iran president cancels Turkey visit amid Syria rift
Reuters: Iran’s president has canceled a trip to Turkey a day after his military chief warned the deployment of NATO missiles along its border with Syria could lead to a “world war”, Turkey’s state-run Anatolian news agency said on Sunday.
Iran urges election as step to halt Syria conflict
AP: Iran is backing presidential elections in Syria as part of a six-point plan outlined Sunday to halt the 21-month civil war in Tehran’s main Middle East ally.
Iran says oil revenues down by half: paper
Reuters: Iran’s oil revenues have been cut in half this year compared with last year, a newspaper quoted Iran’s economic minister as saying, an admission of how deeply Western sanctions are cutting Tehran’s chief source of funds.
Iran army chief warns Turkey over Patriot missiles
AFP: Iran’s armed forces chief of staff on Saturday warned Turkey over its plans to deploy US-made Patriot missiles, saying the move was part of a Western plot to “create a world war”.
