AP: Iran’s parliament began Wednesday to question President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over a long list of accusations, including that he mismanaged the nation’s economy and challenged the country’s supreme leader.
Iran parliament begins questioning Ahmadinejad
Official: Chinese bank cold on Iran-Pak gas deal
AP: A state-owned Chinese bank that had agreed to finance the Pakistani section of a gas pipeline from Iran that is opposed by the United States is no longer interested in the project, a Pakistani finance ministry spokesman said Wednesday.
U.S. meets Iran on energy panel to debate oil price volatility
Bloomberg: U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman will join Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi to discuss ways to mitigate crude-price volatility at the International Energy Forum in Kuwait.
One killed, 74 injured during Iran fire festival
AP: Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency says the country’s annual fire festival has cost the life of one person and injured 74 others.
Iranian released from US prison to be deported: official
AFP: An Iranian whose release reportedly had been sought by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is undergoing deportation proceedings after serving a five year prison sentence for arms smuggling, a US official said Tuesday.
EU calls on Iran to release rights lawyer
AFP: The European Union on Tuesday called on Iran to release a prominent human rights lawyer recently sentenced to 18 years in prison, calling the verdict an “unacceptable attack” against the legal profession.
Iran may not open a site to inspectors
New York Times: Iran signaled on Tuesday that it was unwilling to grant a request by international nuclear inspectors for unfettered access to a restricted military complex that they suspect may house a chamber designed to test explosives used in atomic weapons triggers.
Obama, Cameron united on Afghanistan, Iran
AFP: David Cameron and US President Barack Obama offered a united front Tuesday on many global issues, including in Afghanistan, ahead of talks between the two leaders.
Iran rejects claims of cleaning up nuclear works
AP: Iran is rejecting allegations that it attempted to clean up radioactive traces possibly left by tests of a nuclear-weapon trigger at a military site.
Japan follows allies, adds Iran bank to sanctions list
Reuters: Japan on Tuesday placed Iran’s third-largest bank on a blacklist for allegedly having helped Tehran develop its nuclear programme, following up on similar moves by the United States and the European Union announced in January.
