UPI: Ever since the United Nations brokered a deal with the Iraqi government regarding the 3,400 Iranian dissidents at Camp Ashraf north of Baghdad, the situation has been one of give and take — the dissidents giving and the Iraqis taking.
Time for U.S. to remove the chains on Iranian dissidents
Rights groups call for end to anti-drugs aid for Iran
AFP: Two leading rights groups on Tuesday called for an end to international cash and technical assistance to Iran’s anti-drug campaign, which they said was bolstering a rise in executions.
Top Israeli official talks Iran with senior rabbi
AP: An Israeli religious party official says the prime minister’s national security adviser met with a prominent rabbi and tried to persuade him to favor a strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Iran, Egypt move to restore diplomatic ties: Salehi
AFP: Iran and Egypt are moving towards restoring diplomatic relations which were severed more than three decades ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in an interview published on Tuesday.
U.N. atom watchdog, Iran may meet this week: diplomats
Reuters: The U.N. nuclear watchdog and Iran are expected to meet on Friday for the first time since they failed in June to make progress towards answering questions about suspected atom bomb research in the Islamic state, diplomats said on Tuesday.
Iran unveils upgraded short-range missile
AP: Iran’s president on Tuesday unveiled an upgraded version of a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile just weeks after it was test-fired, the country’s state-media reported.
Iran war could cost Israel economy $42 billion: report
Reuters: Israel’s economy would incur damages of as much as 167 billion shekels ($42 billion) should Israel attack Iran over its nuclear program, business information group BDI-Coface has projected.
Iran to double Shazand Refinery output with new unit, Mehr says
Bloomberg: Iran will start within three weeks a new gasoline production unit at the Shazand refinery which will double the plant’s output to 16 million liters a day, the state- run Mehr news agency reported.
Iran looks to Armenia to skirt bank sanctions
Reuters: With international sanctions squeezing Iran, the Islamic Republic is seeking to expand its banking foothold in the Caucasus nation of Armenia to make up for difficulties in countries it used to rely on to do business, according to diplomats and documents.
US eyes Iran summit of non-aligned nations warily
AP: The Obama administration said Monday that Iran doesn’t deserve to host a summit of non-aligned nations later this month but urged foreign leaders who decide to attend to press the Iranian government comply with international demands to come clean about its nuclear program.
