Reuters: European governments are considering a new round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme that could be implemented in October and substantially curtail trade with the Islamic Republic and hit its banking industry, diplomats say.
EU considers sanctions against Iranian banks, energy sector
France says Iranian interference in Syria ‘unacceptable’
AFP: French President Francois Hollande declared on Tuesday that Iran’s material support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime amounted to an unacceptable interference in Syria’s bloody civil war.
Family pleads with Iran to free jailed ex-Marine
AP: The family of a former Marine imprisoned on espionage charges in Iran is using Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York to address U.N. General Assembly to renew their pleas for his release.
EU mulls ‘full’ financial freeze, shipping ban on Iran
AFP: EU nations are discussing a British sanctions proposal against Iran that notably calls for a ban on shipping and “full” freeze on financial transactions with Iran’s central bank, European diplomats said Tuesday.
Iran blocks Google search, email
UPI: Iran, which already has a firewall blocking many Western websites, says it’s restricting access to Google’s email service and search engine.
Iran’s economy sags under sanctions
AFP: Iran’s oil-dependent economy was showing the strain of punishing Western sanctions on Tuesday, on the eve of a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Obama: U.S. will “do what we must” to curb Iran nuclear bid
Reuters: President Barack Obama warned Iran on Tuesday the United States will “do what we must” to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Iran test-fires missiles designed to hit warships
AP: A semi-official Iranian news agency says the military has test-fired four missiles during a military drill in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran ayatollah is poster boy for influence in Iraq
AP: After years of growing influence, a new sign of Iran’s presence in Iraq has hit the streets. Thousands of signs, that is, depicting Iran’s supreme leader gently smiling to a population once mobilized against the Islamic Republic in eight years of war.
Syria and Iran crises weigh over UN gathering
AFP: Fears that the Syrian civil war and the Iranian nuclear stand-off could provoke wider international conflict dominated the debate on Monday as world leaders arrived for the UN General Assembly.
