Bloomberg: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the European Union and the U.S. must use diplomatic rather than military pressure on Iran, two days after it defied a United Nations deadline for the suspension of uranium enrichment.
Germany’s Merkel urges diplomacy, not force, in Iran dispute
EU gives Iran two more weeks in nuclear standoff
Reuters: The European Union agreed on Saturday to try to clarify Iran’s stance on halting uranium enrichment within two weeks and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan held talks in Tehran to try and settle the standoff.
Annan to press Iran to help shore up Lebanon truce
Reuters: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to press Iran on Saturday to help shore up the Hizbollah-Israel ceasefire, but diplomats say the talks will also cover Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West.
UN hints at talks, not sanctions, as Iran nuclear deadline passes
The Times: Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, begins a controversial visit to Iran today as European powers appeared to back away from immediate sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Ahmadinejad vows Iran will defend nuclear aims
AFP: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday vowed that Iran would defend the aims of its nuclear programme “with firmness” during any negotiations on the issue.
Iran sees no OPEC quota change at September meeting
AFP: Iran on Saturday predicted OPEC would not change its output quota at its next meeting in September, saying the cartel would keep the market well supplied in order to quash criticism it wanted to keep prices high.
Iran plane catches fire, 28 dead: TV
Reuters: An Iranian airliner caught fire after a tire burst on landing at an airport in the northeast of the country on Friday, killing 28 of the 148 people aboard, state television reported.
Paris regrets Iran nuclear stance
BBC: French PM Dominique de Villepin has expressed disappointment at Iran’s decision to disregard a UN deadline for stopping sensitive nuclear work.
EU: Too early for sanctions against Iran
AP: Despite mounting U.S. pressure for sanctions against Iran, the European Union said Friday it is too early to punish Tehran for its failure to halt uranium enrichment by the U.N. Security Council’s deadline.
Europe wants negotiations with Iran
Reuters: European governments rebuked Iran for intransigence over its nuclear programme on Friday but expressed their desire for a negotiated solution to the row.
