Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 08 – Iran has bought three million barrels of gas oil from Singapore trader Hin Leong to compensate a loss of supplies from India.

AP: The BBC said Thursday it will launch a Persian-language TV channel next week that can be seen in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and elsewhere, despite Iranian claims that it will be used to recruit spies.

Reuters: President-elect Barack Obama should seek tougher sanctions against Iran, which will be his biggest Middle East challenge, outgoing White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley said on Wednesday.

Reuters: India's Reliance Industries Ltd has decided to stop gasoline supplies to Iran after fulfilling all contractual obligations, the Business Standard newspaper reported on Wednesday.

AP: President George W. Bush's national security adviser said Tuesday that Iran is the biggest challenge President-elect Barack Obama will face in the Middle East and that more sanctions will be needed to force Tehran to forgo its nuclear ambitions and support for extremists.

Washington Times: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not get an invitation to the annual summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a reversal from one year earlier when Iran was the surprise invitee.

Reuters: Iran's industries minister told Iranian firms on Monday to suspend commercial links with international companies which might have "Zionist" shareholders, Iran's ISNA news agency reported.