Reuters: Iran and Russia clashed on Wednesday over Kremlin support for draft U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic, in one of the worst rows between the two powers since the Cold War.
Iran and Russia clash in worst row for years
Tremors jolt Iran
Iran Focus: Tehran, May 26 – Two earthquakes simultaneously rocked Iran’s northern province of Semnan and the south-eastern province of Kerman on Wednesday.
Ahmadinejad lacks legitimacy: opposition leader
AFP: Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi has reiterated that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lacks “legitimacy,” months after changing his stance and saying he recognised the hardline president, a reformist website reported on Wednesday.
Ahmadinejad urges Obama to accept nuke swap deal
AP: Iran’s president on Wednesday urged Barack Obama to accept a nuclear fuel swap deal, warning the U.S. leader will miss a historic opportunity for improved cooperation from Tehran if the offer is rejected.
Australia plans bill on Iran, North Korea sanctions
Bloomberg: Australia plans legislation allowing it to impose its own sanctions on countries and respond quickly to international issues of concern such as Iran and North Korea, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said.
As ugly as it gets
New York Times: I confess that when I first saw the May 17 picture of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, joining his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with raised arms — after their signing of a putative deal to defuse the crisis over Iran’s nuclear weapons program — all I could think of was: Is there anything uglier than watching democrats sell out other democrats to a Holocaust-denying, vote-stealing Iranian thug just to tweak the U.S. and show that they, too, can play at the big power table?
British PM ups pressure on Iran, says it wants the bomb
AFP: British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged Tuesday to “ratchet up” pressure on Iran, which he said was clearly intent on building nuclear weapons.
Congress to wait on bilateral sanctions on Iran
AP: Congressional leaders putting together a new round of U.S. sanctions against Iran said Tuesday they will defer bringing their legislation to a vote to give the United Nations and the European Union a chance to first impose multinational penalties against the Tehran government over its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Iraqi election appeals rejected
Reuters: Election authorities in Iraq rejected final appeals on Tuesday against the results of a March parliamentary election, which will now move to the Supreme Court for certification.
Analysis: Turkey’s Iran standoff role irks allies
AP: Turkey’s attempts to mediate Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West have evolved into an aggressive effort to forestall new U.N. sanctions. The assertive campaign is placing Turkey in opposition to longtime allies Israel and the United States.
