Iran Focus: Washington, Aug. 18 – The United States and its allies on Thursday called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stand down, as the Obama administration imposed new sanctions on Syria’s government.
US, Europe ask Syria’s al-Assad to step down
Iran Guards to keep up raids on Iraq-based Kurd rebels
AFP: The Revolutionary Guards will carry on operations against Kurdish rebels in northwest Iran along the Iraqi border despite strains with Iraq, a commander of the elite force said on Wednesday.
Iran says to switch on Bushehr plant soon
Reuters: Iran’s foreign minister said on Wednesday his country’s Russian-built nuclear power plant at Bushehr would be switched on soon after years of delays, but gave no date.
Chavez, Ahmadinejad blast ‘aggression’ in Libya, Syria
AFP: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have denounced the West’s “imperialist aggression” in Libya and Syria, the foreign ministry in Caracas said Tuesday.
US general: Iran-backed groups biggest Iraq threat
AP: Iranian-backed militias present the most dangerous security threat for Iraq, outpacing al-Qaida-linked terrorists who have been blamed for the spike in violence there, a senior U.S. military officer said Tuesday.
Belarus company withdraws from Iran oil field -agency
Reuters: The Belarusian national oil company Belarusneft is pulling out of developing Iran’s Jofeir oilfield over differences with the state National Iranian Oil Co.(NIOC), the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday.
Iran says Russian plan could revive nuclear talks
Reuters: Iran welcomed on Tuesday a Russian attempt to revive talks with six world powers that are concerned about the its uranium enrichment programme, a potential pathway to nuclear weapons, but was vague about what the agenda should be.
Deutsche Börse unit sued over alleged Iran funds
Wall Street Journal: A group of nearly 1,000 American victims of international terrorism is suing Clearstream Banking SA of Luxembourg, a unit of Germany’s Deutsche Börse AG, for allegedly assisting Iran in fraudulently securing the release of $250 million in frozen assets and in moving it out of the U.S. financial system, according to legal documents recently unsealed by a federal court in New York.
US jails Iranian over missile component plot
AFP: A US judge sentenced an Iranian national Monday to more than four years in prison for plotting to export radio equipment and components for anti-tank missiles from the United States to Iran.
Iran to ‘soon’ issue verdict on US hikers: prosecutor
AFP: Iran’s prosecutor general said on Monday that the verdict in the case of three Americans arrested two years ago on espionage charges would be issued “soon,” Mehr news agency reported.
