Iran Focus: Tehran, May 31 – Iran’s Minister of Defence Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi and his Mauritanian counterpart announced on Tuesday that they plan to intensify defence cooperation between their two countries.
Iran and Mauritanian bolster defence ties
Merkel lands in India after Iran blocks plane
Reuters: Iran briefly refused to allow a plane carrying German Chancellor Angela Merkel to India to enter its airspace, forcing the government aircraft to circle over Turkey for almost two hours before giving clearance.
Iran Central Bank aims to increase deposit rates, Hamshahri says
Bloomberg: Iran’s Central Bank plans to increase interest rates for deposits in a bid to control fluctuations in the gold and foreign-currency markets, Hamshahri reported.
Iran hopes to agree oil payments with India by Tuesday
Reuters: Iran hopes to resolve a payments impasse with India over oil sales worth about $12 billion a year by Tuesday, the country’s envoy to India, Seyed Mahdi Nabizadeh, said on Monday.
Iran oil output ‘may drop drastically by 2015’
AFP: Iran’s oil production may fall to 2.7 million barrels per day within five years unless 150 billion dollars is invested in its energy sector, a top official said in a report on Monday.
Egypt expels Iranian diplomat
AFP: An Iranian diplomat in Egypt, briefly detained on suspicion of spying, was expelled on Monday, the official MENA news agency reported.
Egypt frees Iran diplomat detained for spying: report
AFP: Egyptian authorities have released an Iranian diplomat detained on suspicion of spying on the North African country for Tehran’s intelligence services, Egyptian state media reported on Sunday.
Iran seeks to slap travel sanctions on U.S. officials, Mehr says
Bloomberg: Iran’s parliament approved the outlines of a bill to impose travel and financial restrictions on 26 U.S. officials, whom it accuses of being involved in “human rights violations,” Mehr reported.
Khamenei backs president, wants end to crisis: TV
AFP: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday backed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government and called for an end to the crisis within the ruling conservative camp, state television said.
Egypt to expel Iran diplomat spy suspect: security
AFP: Egypt will expel an Iranian diplomat who was briefly detained on suspicion of spying on the North African country for Tehran’s intelligence services, security officials said on Sunday.
