Reuters: German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces a delicate balancing act when she visits China next week to forge unity on Iran and bolster bilateral economic ties, while delivering unwelcome messages on human rights and piracy.
Merkel faces balancing act on first visit to China
Rice rejects Kissinger call for talks with Iran
DPA: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday rejected a call by a predecessor – Henry Kissinger – for Washington to negotiate with Iran.
The weapon Iran may not want to use
Washington Post: In 1967, after Israel trounced its Arab neighbors in the Six-Day War, five oil-producing Arab countries used what they called the “oil weapon” and cut off supplies to the United States and its European allies. But the weapon turned out to be a dud. The United States increased its production by a million barrels a day, and more modest boosts by three other oil-producing nations defused the crisis.
Iran’s secrecy widens gap in nuclear intelligence
New York Times: South of Tehran, the desert gives way to barbed wire, antiaircraft guns and a maze of buildings, two of them cavernous underground halls roughly half the size of the Pentagon.
US looks to arm Iran’s neighbors, general says
Reuters: Iran’s neighbors — including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates — are talking to the United States about ways to bolster their defenses, the general in charge of U.S. arms sales said on Thursday.
Irans Ahmadinejad sends Syrias al-Assad a message
Iran Focus: London, May 18 Hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a message to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian news agency SANA reported on Thursday.
Irans Ahmadinejad sends Syrias al-Assad a message
Iran Focus: London, May 18 Hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a message to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian news agency SANA reported on Thursday.
Iran president to send letter to Pope – paper
Reuters: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is writing a letter to Pope Benedict, following an unprecedented letter to U.S. President George W. Bush earlier this month, a newspaper said on Thursday.
Iran’s Larijani, IAEA head talk in Vienna – diplomat
Reuters: Iranian chief atomic negotiator Ali Larijani on Thursday discussed ways to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, a senior Iranian diplomat said.
EU trio set to meet on Iran in London next week
DPA: Representatives from France, Britain and Germany will meet next week to hammer out a new package of incentives aimed at persuading Iran to stop its suspected military nuclear weapons programme, European diplomats said Thursday.
