AFP: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez vowed Sunday that his government would always back US foes Syria and Iran in the face of threats from Washington.

AFP: The pressure exerted by the United States and the international community on Iran over its nuclear programme has put the Islamic republic on the defensive, a senior US official said Sunday.

Reuters: A confidential Iranian government report has highlighted the damaging effects of wide-ranging sanctions against the country if Iran continues its nuclear programme, French newspaper Le Monde reported on its website.

Reuters: NATO appealed to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to consider entering a cooperation agreement with the Western alliance, citing shared interest in stopping weapons proliferation in an apparent reference to Iran.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 21 – Iran’s top national security official travelled to Damascus on Sunday where he met and held talks with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

AP: Iran plans three days of military maneuvers, including short-range missile tests, beginning Sunday – its first since the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against it in late December, state-run television said.