Bloomberg: South Korea’s imports of oil from Iran increased 2.9 percent in November from October, when it resumed shipments from the Persian Gulf nation.
South Korea’s imports of Iranian crude climb in November
IAEA confident of nuclear deal with Iran in January
AFP: The UN nuclear agency expressed confidence Friday that it will clinch a deal with Iran next month under which Tehran will at last answer “credible” evidence of atomic weapons research, but analysts and diplomats were sceptical.
Chuck Hagel’s ambiguous stance on dealing with Iran
Washington Post: Hagel, like Obama, has consistently emphasized diplomacy first in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. But, while Obama has long been clear that he considers military strikes a viable last resort, Hagel’s statements on the matter have been far more ambiguous.
Iran, U.N. nuclear agency end talks; no word on site visit
Reuters: Iran said progress was made in Thursday’s talks in Tehran with senior U.N. nuclear inspectors but gave no details other than they would meet again in mid-January.
US slaps more sanctions on Iranian nuclear experts
AFP: The United States Thursday added sanctions on seven Iranian companies and five nuclear experts for their work in support of Tehran’s suspect uranium enrichment program.
Russia positions itself for fall of Syrian regime
AP: Syria’s most powerful ally and protector, Russia, began positioning itself Thursday for the fall of President Bashar Assad, saying for the first time that rebels might overthrow him and preparing to evacuate thousands of Russian citizens from the country.
U.N. nuclear inspectors in Iran, no sign of Parchin visit
Reuters: Inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog arrived in Tehran on Thursday to hold talks over Iran’s disputed nuclear program but there was no sign they would gain access to the Parchin military complex as requested.
Mitsubishi Bank fined $8.6 mn for flouting US sanctions
AFP: Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan’s biggest bank, must pay US authorities a fine totaling some $8.6 million for flouting US sanctions on Iran, Sudan, Myanmar and Cuba, the US Treasury Department said.
Sakharov prize honours those ‘standing up for better Iran’
AFP: The European Parliament roundly condemned Iran as it awarded its prestigious Sakharov prize Wednesday to lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and film-maker Jafar Panahi, who are both detained back home.
Victims of 1983 Beirut bombing drop Standard Chartered lawsuit
Reuters: The estates of victims of the 1983 bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut have dropped a lawsuit against Standard Chartered Plc (STAN.L) that accused the bank of concealing Iranian transactions that could have satisfied a $2.67 billion judgment.
