Reuters: Iran voiced readiness on Tuesday to address concerns of U.N. nuclear inspectors about its atomic activities in talks this week but said its “right” to refine uranium should be part of any agreement.
Iran insists on nuclear “right” ahead of IAEA talks
Record number of reporters jailed globally: Report
AP: The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday said Turkey, Iran and China have imprisoned the most journalists. The journalists’ group says that such states are using stepped-up anti-terror and anti-state charges to silence critical reporters.
Visit delay raises questions over Iran-Pakistan project
AFP: Pakistan’s president has delayed a visit to Iran to discuss a huge gas deal despite Tehran’s offer of a loan to help finance a project which the US opposes, officials said Tuesday.
Tehran denies Iranian missile experts in North Korea
AFP: Iran on Tuesday denied a South Korean report that its missile experts were in North Korea offering technical assistance for the planned launch of a long-range rocket.
Iran to build oil refinery near Caspian Sea, Tehran Times says
Bloomberg: The Iranian Oil Ministry plans to build a refinery near the Caspian Sea that will process crude from the Sardar Jangal field, the Tehran Times reported, citing Masoud Jahdi, the explorations director of Khazar Oil Co.
Iran arrests 28 over links to religious networks
AP: Tehran’s chief prosecutor says authorities have arrested 28 Iranians for alleged links to foreign-based TV networks advocating the Baha’i religion, which is banned in the Islamic Republic.
Iran says Western sanctions harm safety for ships
Reuters: Western sanctions imposed over the past months against Iran’s shipping industry will seriously affect international maritime and environmental safety, a senior Iranian official said.
HSBC to pay $1.9 bn to settle US claims: report
AFP: US authorities plan to announce a record $1.9 billion settlement with British bank HSBC to end allegations of money laundering, The Wall Street Journal reported on its website.
Sanctions push Iran into recession: IIF
Reuters: Crude oil exports have dropped sharply, the Iranian rial has plummeted and inflation has soared in 2012, the Washington-based Institute for International Finance said in its report on the Middle East and North Africa.
U.N. nuclear inspectors to press Iran on military site access
Reuters: U.N. nuclear inspectors will press Iran this week for a long-sought green light to visit a key military site, although suspected clean-up work may make it difficult to find evidence of any illicit atomic bomb research there.
