AP: Oil edged down to near $92 a barrel Friday in Asia, after a big jump the day before, as a weak demand picture was weighed against rising Middle East tensions.

Reuters: Obscure private firms are offering Iranian crude oil at steep discounts to European oil traders as Tehran seeks ways to restore oil export flows hit by Western sanctions.

AP: He looked like any other impatient tourist checking the big board at airport arrivals: a lanky, long-haired man in a baseball cap with his hands in the pockets of his plaid Bermuda shorts, a bulky backpack hanging from his shoulders.

AP: The Obama administration is urging global port authorities to be on the watch for Iranian shipping vessels flying false flags or sailing under fraudulent registrations. Both practices violate international maritime law and sanctions.

Reuters: The United States has the military capacity to defeat any Iranian attempt to shut down sea commerce in the oil-rich Gulf region and will hold Tehran directly responsible for shipping disruptions, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Wednesday.

AP: Iran’s state TV is rejecting accusations of Tehran’s involvement in an apparent suicide attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria that killed at least eight people.

AFP: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday scoffed at US claims it could clear Gulf waters of mines in case of conflict after Washington announced plans for a multinational anti-mine operation.