AP: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday his organization cannot be sure that Iran is not secretly working on nuclear arms, in comments reflecting disappointment with the collapse of talks between Tehran and six world powers.
AP Interview: IAEA head seeks openness from Iran
Key Obama aide on Iran sanctions steps down
Reuters: President Barack Obama’s point person on cracking down on financial flows to Iran resigned on Monday, marking the loss of a key player in the U.S. effort to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program.
Top Iranian reformist released: report
AFP: A top Iranian reformist from a banned political party who had been jailed for anti-regime propaganda was released on Monday, an opposition website said.
Iran gas firm, bank sign $4 bln refinery deal -TV
Reuters: Iran’s national gas company and one of its state banks signed a contract worth $4 billion on Monday to provide the funding for construction of refineries, state television reported.
Iran stops making gasoline in petrochemical plants
Bloomberg: Iran stopped making gasoline at petrochemical plants after the government’s reduction in fuel subsidies last month caused prices to quadruple and consumption to fall, an official at Iran’s National Petrochemical Co. said.
Iran offers small oil, gas fields to Turkey
Reuters: Iran may offer Turkey four or five small oil and gas fields to develop, for which the Turkish government will seek private-sector investment, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Monday.
Germany’s Merkel warns Iran on further sanctions
Reuters: German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Iran on Monday that it faced further sanctions if it did not satisfy world powers’ concerns about its nuclear programme.
Iran hangs two political prisoners
Iran Focus: Tehran/London, Jan. 24 – Iran hanged two political prisoners on Monday for taking part in anti-government protests in 2009 and supporting the main Iranian opposition group, according to a statement by the Tehran prosecutor’s office.
Iran launches cyber crime unit: police
AFP: Iran on Sunday officially launched its cyber police unit to confront Internet crimes and counter social networks that spread “espionage and riots,” police chief Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam said.
Iran FM in Syria for Lebanon talks
AFP: Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, arrived in Damascus on Sunday for talks with Syrian officials on the political crisis in Lebanon, a diplomatic source said.
