Iran Focus: Tehran, 13 May – From the Grapevine … Young people in the capital’s northern districts of Elahiyeh and Ekhtiariyeh wrote extensive graffiti on walls Wednesday urging the public to join the 10-day anti-government protests in June, which the opposition has called for.
A call to protest in Tehran
Taiwan man pleads guilty in Iran missile case
AP: A Taiwanese businessman has pleaded guilty in Miami to federal charges of conspiring to export items to Iran that can be used for missiles and military drones.
Russia warns U.S. against unilateral Iran sanctions
Reuters: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the United States and other Western nations on Thursday against imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
Afghans protest against Iran over executions
Reuters: Around 1,000 Afghans demonstrated on Thursday against alleged ill-treatment and executions of some Afghan refugees by Iranian authorities on charges of drug-smuggling.
AP Exclusive: Iran eases grip on al-Qaida
AP: Al-Qaida operatives who have been detained for years in Iran have been making their way quietly in and out of the country, raising the prospect that Iran is loosening its grip on the terror group so it can replenish its ranks, former and current U.S. intelligence officials say.
Boeing, Exxon say new Iran sanctions would hurt global sales
Bloomberg: Boeing Co. and Exxon Mobil Corp. are lobbying to fend off tightened sanctions against Iran that business groups say may cost $25 billion in U.S. exports.
EU urges Iran to drop death sentence on two ‘moharebs’
AFP: European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Wednesday pleaded with Iran to drop death sentences imposed on two people awaiting execution for being ‘enemies of God’.
FACTBOX-Foreign companies stepping away from Iran
Reuters: A growing number of oil companies, trading houses and other international companies have stopped doing business with Iran this year amid a U.S. drive to isolate Tehran and international efforts to impose tougher sanctions
US, China acknowledge ‘good progress’ in Iran talks: US
AFP: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a Chinese official acknowledged “good progress” had been made when they talked about efforts to impose new sanctions on Iran, a US official said Wednesday.
Exclusive: Iranian scientists abandon missile program
Iran Focus: Tehran, May 13 – As Iran’s international isolation grows over its failure to forge an agreement with the major world powers on its uranium enrichment, there has been a flurry of resignations among experts working on Tehran’s missile programs in the Iranian Aerospace Organization (IAO).
