AP: Iran’s parliament on Sunday abandoned its planned impeachment of a Cabinet minister over the free-fall of the country’s currency, opting instead to look for more effective economic measures, like cutting spending.
Iran’s parliament drops impeachment over economy
Iran parliament votes to consider halting subsidy reform plan
Reuters: Iran’s parliament voted on Sunday to consider suspending plans for further reform of the country’s food and fuel subsidies, with legislators citing economic pain caused by the plunge of the rial currency, Iranian media reported.
Qatar urges Syrian rebels not to kill Iranian prisoners
Reuters: Qatar, a major supporter of Syrian rebels, urged them on Sunday not to kill Iranians seized two months ago near Damascus, after the captors threatened to start killing their 48 prisoners.
Only threat to regime will budge ‘mad’ Tehran: Hammond
AFP: The world should tighten the squeeze on Iran over its “mad” nuclear plans to the point where the regime’s survival is threatened by its own people, defence secretary said.
US threatens more sanctions over Iran nuclear drive
AFP: Iran must respond to international concerns about its suspect nuclear program, or face additional punitive sanctions, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Saturday.
Iran denies offering new plan on nuclear impasse
Reuters: Iran denied on Saturday a U.S. media report that it had offered a “nine-step plan” aimed at solving its stand-off with the West over its disputed nuclear program.
India business group visits Iran for ‘win-win’ trade
AFP: An Indian business group said Saturday a delegation was visiting Iran to boost trade with the Islamic republic, which is under strain from Western sanctions over its alleged nuclear weapons programme.
Iranian Red Crescent workers freed in Libya: ministry
AFP: A group of seven Iranian Red Crescent workers who were kidnapped in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi more than two months ago were freed on Sunday, an interior ministry official told AFP.
Iran ‘confidence’ bid shifts uranium to fuel stock
AP: In a bid to ease international concerns over its nuclear program, Iran has converted more than a third of Tehran’s most highly enriched uranium into a powder for a medical research reactor that is difficult to reprocess for weapons production, experts and U.N. monitors say.
Iran imposes currency cap to combat rial’s plunge
AFP: Iran sought on Saturday to reverse a collapse of its currency by imposing a fixed dollar rate, days after protests erupted over the rial’s plunge on the open market, said money changers who were refusing to comply.
