AP: Iranian state television said Wednesday that an explosion near Deilam may have been caused by a fuel tank accidentally dropping from an Iranian airplane in the region. The state-run television provided few details, but said local officials had told
it that may have been the cause of the unidentified explosion.
Iranian TV Reports Explosion Near Deilam
Syria and Iran Say to Build ‘Common Front’
Reuters: Iran and Syria, both locked in rows with the United States, said on Wednesday they will form a common front to face challenges and threats. “We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats,” Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said in Tehran after meeting Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari.
U.S. Congress Begins New Push to Enforce Sanctions Against Iran
Bloomberg: U.S. lawmakers are beginning a new push to compel enforcement of a 1996 law imposing sanctions on foreign companies that do business in Iran, a move that might trigger a European Union protest to the World Trade Organization. Among the companies that would be vulnerable to the sanctions are Siemens AG, Royal Dutch/Shell Group and Total SA of Europe and Inpex Corp. of Japan.
Unknown aircraft fires missile in Iran – TV
Reuters: An unknown aircraft has fired a missile in a deserted area near the southern city of Dailam in the province of Bushehr where Iran has a nuclear power plant, Iranian state television reports.
Iran will re-tender mobile deal if Turkcell quits
Reuters: Iran will re-tender operatorship of its second private mobile phone network, if Turkcell quits the deal because lawmakers changed the Turkish firm’s terms, an official said on Wednesday. Masoum Fardis, running the tender for Iran’s telecommunications ministry, said his ministry had returned the bid-bond of South Africa’s MTN which came second in the tender after Turkcell paid its licence fee.
220 women in Iran province committed suicide
Iran Focus: Tehran, Feb. 16 Women and teenage girls comprise the majority of people in Iran’s Ilam province (western Iran) who committed suicide throughout this year, according to the province’s Councillor for Women’s Affairs. At least 220 cases of women committing suicide in Ilam have been recorded out of an estimated 400 suicides, Heyran Pournajaf said to a state-run news agency.
220 women in Iran province committed suicide
Iran Focus: Tehran, Feb. 16 Women and teenage girls comprise the majority of people in Iran’s Ilam province (western Iran) who committed suicide throughout this year, according to the province’s Councillor for Women’s Affairs. At least 220 cases of women committing suicide in Ilam have been recorded out of an estimated 400 suicides, Heyran Pournajaf said to a state-run news agency.
Iran intelligence chief warns U.S.
Reuters: Washington is using satellites to spy on Iran’s
nuclear sites, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
“We believe the United States has been spying against Iran for some time using satellites and other tools,” he was quoted as saying on the official IRNA news agency, when asked about U.S. denials that it was using drones over Iran.
WTO accepts Serbia, Montenegro application, rejects Iran
AFP: The World Trade Organisation accepted Tuesday the separate membership applications of Serbia and Montenegro, but again rejected that of Iran because of US opposition. A General Council session of the 148 member-states unanimously accepted the separate applications by Serbia and Montenegro, which previously had made one single application.
Allawi party warns Iraq PM favourite over Iran ties, Islam
AFP: The secular party of Iraq’s outgoing prime minister Iyad Allawi on Wednesday warned the religious Shiite now tipped to succeed him over his ties to Iran and the role of Islam in the state.
On Tuesday, sources in the coalition that won the January 30 elections and that is backed by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said interim vice president and Dawa party leader Ibrahim Jaafari had been chosen as the list’s premiership candidate.
