AFP: Iran’s foreign minister hailed Francois Hollande’s election as French president, voicing hope it can boost bilateral ties, as he met visiting former French socialist premier Michel Rocard.
Salehi hopes Hollande win will boost Iran-France ties
Exiles: Iran advancing active nuclear arms programme
Reuters: An exiled Iranian opposition group said on Saturday that Iran has some 60 scientists and engineers involved in a concerted and expanding programme to develop nuclear weapons under defence ministry auspices.
Iran curbs foreign-sourced email providers
AFP: Iran’s telecommunications ministry has barred local banks, insurance firms and telephone operators from using foreign-sourced emails to communicate with clients, a specialist weekly said on Saturday.
Support for Iran cartoonist after lashing sentence
BBC: Political cartoonists, like other journalists in Iran, have to tread a fine line – taboo subjects change with the ebb and flow of the political power play among the ruling factions, making it difficult for commentators to determine the lines they cannot cross.
Iran presses for official to be next leader of Shiites
New York Times: Iran is positioning its own candidate for the post, a hard-line cleric who would give Tehran a direct line of influence over the Iraqi people, heightening fears that Iran’s long-term goal is to transplant its Islamic Revolution to Iraq.
Nuclear negotiator seeks ‘beginnings of the end’ of Iran dispute
New York Times: The lead negotiator for the six-nation group bargaining with Iran over its contentious uranium enrichment program said Friday that she hoped to achieve “the beginnings of the end” of the dispute at the next meeting, to be held in Baghdad on May 23.
Iran helps release of Turkish reporters in Syria
AP: One Turkish journalist detained in Syria is a devout Muslim who was on a Gaza-bound aid ship targeted in an Israeli raid in 2010, and reported being wounded by American bombing on a trip to Afghanistan.
Ashton hopes new talks to end Iran nuke programme
Reuters: The European Union’s foreign policy chief said on Friday she hoped upcoming talks with Iran would form the basis for Tehran to eventually abandon its alleged nuclear weapons project.
Iran eyes electricity export market
UPI: The Iranian Energy Ministry said it expects to secure export contracts for electricity with the Syrian and Lebanese governments in the near future.
IEA report raises oil demand but warns of Iran risk
AFP: The IEA raised slightly its outlook for growth of oil demand this year but warned on Friday that risks of a shock from Iran persisted despite easing prices and a supply boost by OPEC.
