Reuters: European powers urged Iran on Wednesday to embrace a U.N. idea of a “timeout” from nuclear activity, saying sanctions they sponsored against Tehran would be simultaneously suspended.
EU powers at IAEA urge Iran to take atom “timeout”
Iranians visit Russia over nuke plant
AP: Nuclear energy officials hosted an Iranian delegation Wednesday for talks on the construction of a Russian-built plant that has fallen behind schedule because of what Moscow said were delays in payments by Tehran.
Treasury urges Middle East firms to avoid Iran
Reuters: The U.S. Treasury’s top anti-terrorism official on Wednesday urged Middle East-based companies not to do business with Iran, saying they could be helping to fund terrorist activities or weapons proliferation.
Oil companies in deals with Iran face sanctions
Reuters: Key members of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday backed a new legislative effort designed to force the Bush administration to sanction oil companies and countries that strike deals with Iran, but the State Department expressed concerns.
Iran to attend conference on Iraq
AP: Iran will attend the international conference on Iraq that will be held in Baghdad on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Wednesday.
EU targets Iran nuclear expansion at IAEA meeting
Reuters: The European Union plans to tell a U.N. nuclear meeting that Iran’s expansion of efforts to enrich uranium, a possible path to atom bombs, is deplorable but a negotiated solution remains possible.
Delay seen at U.N. on drafting Iran sanctions text
Reuters: Major powers working on a U.N. resolution to impose new sanctions on Iran probably will not complete a draft text by the end of the week as expected, diplomats said after another round of talks on Tuesday.
Moderate quake injures 35 in Iran town
AP: A moderate earthquake damaged buildings and injured at least 35 people early Wednesday in a town in southwestern Iran, sending panicked residents running into the streets, a local official said.
Iran starts building home-made atomic plant: agency
Reuters: Iran has started construction of a domestically built nuclear power plant, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
Iran says an attack won’t destroy atomic know-how
Reuters: The head of the Iranian nuclear program said any attack on the country’s atomic facilities would not extinguish the knowledge gained by young Iranian scientists, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported.
