Reuters: Iran reiterated to China on Saturday it could take back control of a gas field being developed by its national oil company unless it speeds up investment, one week after the new Iranian oil minister said no foreign contractors were needed.
Iran reiterates threat to take gas project off China
Iraqi leader backs Syria, with a nudge from Iran
New York Times: As leaders in the Arab world and other countries condemn President Bashar al-Assad’s violent crackdown on demonstrators in Syria, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq has struck a far friendlier tone, urging the protesters not to “sabotage” the state and hosting an official Syrian delegation.
HPCL says paying Iran, expects 2 oil cargoes in Sept
Reuters: Indian refiner HPCL said it hopes crude deliveries from Iran will resume in September after a gap of a month, joining other state-run refiners expecting supplies after they started clearing debts racked up in a payments impasse.
Paul and Santorum clash over US-Iran relationship
AP: Congressman Ron Paul says rival White House hopeful Rick Santorum has his history wrong on Iran, arguing that the United States has been at war with Iran since it helped orchestrate regime change in the 1950s.
Iraq treads carefully with Syria unrest
AFP: Iraq is treading carefully in its response to Syria’s deadly crackdown on protesters, balancing its ties to Iran, which backs Damascus, and international condemnation of Syria, officials and analysts say.
Iranian gas flow to Turkey halted by blast
Reuters: Iranian gas flow to Turkey has been halted due to an explosion on the pipeline in Turkey overnight and repairs have been started which will take one week, a Turkish Energy Ministry official told Reuters on Friday.
Azerbaijan arrests ‘Iranian-backed Islamists’
AFP: Police in Azerbaijan have arrested three Islamic activists who were seeking to install a theocracy in the mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic with funding from Iranian radicals, officials said Friday.
Iran says Syria needs backing in face of U.S., Donya reports
Bloomberg: The Syrian government must be supported, as a NATO attack on the country, which is cracking down on its dissidents, would further destabilize the Middle East, a senior member of the Iranian parliament said, Donya-e- Eqtesad reported.
UK tells Iran happy to talk human rights after riot criticism
Reuters: Britain told Iran on Thursday it was happy to discuss its handling of street unrest after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused its police of “savage” aggression against demonstrators.
India IOC says paying for Iran oil through Turkey bank
Reuters: India’s top state-run refiner , Indian Oil Corp Ltd, said on Wednesday it had begun paying its debt to Iran for oil imports and would clear an outstanding of 380 million euros this month using an arrangement with a state-controlled bank in Turkey.
