Washington Post: The United States will not release five Iranians detained in a U.S. military raid in northern Iraq until at least October, despite entreaties from the Iraqi government and pressure from Iran, U.S. officials said. The delay is as much due to a communication and procedural foul-up within the U.S. government as a policy decision, they added.
U.S. refuses to free 5 captured Iranians until at least October
British hostages held by Iran-backed killers
The Times: A group funded, trained and armed by Iran was responsible for kidnapping five British civilians in Baghdad last month, according to the commander of US forces in Iraq.
Man hanged in public in southern Iran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jun. 20 – Authorities executed a 40-year-old man in public in southern Iran, state media reported on Wednesday.
Man hanged in public in southern Iran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jun. 20 – Authorities executed a 40-year-old man in public in southern Iran, state media reported on Wednesday.
Tehran blocks Iranian-French journalism student’s exit: group
AFP: An Iranian-French journalism student is being prevented from leaving Iran after spending a month in jail for interviewing opposition members, Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday.
Iran protests Israel’s threats
AP: Iran’s U.N. ambassador complained in a letter circulated Monday that the Security Council has done nothing to stop Israel’s “unlawful and dangerous threats” against his country.
Iran falling short of oil refining ambitions
Reuters: Sanctions and insufficient funding are thwarting Iran’s ambitious plans to nearly double domestic oil refinery capacity to end its dependency on expensive imported fuels.
India, Pak, Iran to hold pipeline talks June-end
Reuters: India, Pakistan and Iran will hold their next round of talks on a proposed $7 billion gas pipeline at the end of the month, and aim to sign a final deal a month later, an Indian oil ministry official said on Wednesday.
U.S. needs hard evidence to curb Iran firms: Paulson
Reuters: The United States will sanction more Iranian companies if it receives hard evidence of wrongdoing, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Wednesday.
Iran poses no missile threat, Russia tells US
AFP: Russia on Wednesday bluntly told the United States it sees no security threat from Iranian ballistic missiles and “does not understand” how this could justify a planned US defence system in Europe.
