AP: Egypt’s president would consider turning his country into a nuclear power if Iran acquired atomic weapons, leaked U.S. diplomatic cables revealed.
Egypt considering nuclear arms if Iran gets them
WikiLeaks: Afghan MPs and religious scholars ‘on Iran payroll’
The Guardian: Iran is financing a range of Afghan religious and political leaders, grooming Afghan religious scholars, training Taliban militants and even seeking to influence MPs, according to cables from the US embassy in Kabul.
Iran authorities chop off man’s hand
Iran Focus: Tehran, Dec. 02 – Iranian authorities amputated the hand of a man in a prison in the western province of Kermanshah.
Iran arrests suspects over scientist’s murder
AP: Iranian security has made a number of arrests in the case of the assassination of a prominent nuclear scientist, the country’s intelligence chief said Thursday.
IAEA laments lack of Iran cooperation before talks
Reuters: U.N. nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano complained on Thursday about Iran’s lack of cooperation with his inspectors, four days before long-stalled talks resume between Tehran and major powers.
Iran talks tough ahead of nuclear talks
AFP: Iran has adopted a tough and uncompromising stance ahead of new nuclear talks with world powers, whom the Islamic republic has blamed for deadly attacks on senior scientists in its atomic programme.
ANALYSIS-Arms saga risks denting Iran’s Africa quest
Reuters: The seizure of weapons from Iran in a Nigerian port, a stand-off with suspects holed up in an embassy and a paper trail leading to the farm of a West African leader bear the hallmarks of a great thriller.
Iran chokes as politics delay Metro expansion
Reuters: Tehran is choking. Gridlock on urban highways makes the city feel more like Los Angeles than the Middle East, while adding a toxic yellow halo of smog to otherwise perennially blue skies.
US officials: Significant progress made on Iran strategy
Dow Jones: Obama administration officials told a U.S. House hearing Wednesday that the U.S. sanctions strategy against Iran has made significant progress in isolating Tehran, but warned that vigilance is necessary to counter sanctions evasion.
US lawmaker warns of ‘evil twins’ Iran, NKorea
AFP: Iran and North Korea are “evil twins” separated at birth who have joined forces in pursuit of nuclear programs that could have devastating consequences, a senior US lawmaker charged Wednesday.


