Iran Focus:
Drug addiction an ever-growing problem
Clampdown in Shiraz enters second week
Oil exported to Iraq on black-market
Students complain over lack of books
New national costume on display
Aeronautics students demonstrate for rights
Flogging in public
In Brief
Iran would freeze enrichment for 6 months at most
Reuters: Iran could agree to freeze uranium enrichment for six months at most and only provided the European Union abandons its demand that Tehran scrap enrichment for good,
a senior Iranian security official said on Monday. Tehran risks being reported to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions if it does not freeze enrichment before the …
Nuclear Chief Pressures Iran, N. Korea
AP: U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei urged Iran on Monday to suspend uranium enrichment and called on North Korea to dismantle its weapons program or at least allow inspectors to ensure it is “exclusively peaceful.”
In his annual report to the U.N. General Assembly and in comments to a few reporters, he said Iran and North Korea …
Iran’s judiciary orders conservative-run news website to close
AFP: Iran’s hardline judiciary ordered the conservative-run news website Baztab to close after receiving complaints that the site was “publishing false news,” contrary to Iran’s security guidelines, student news agency ISNA reported on Monday.
Iran’s Afghan refugees feel pressure to leave
BBC: Thirteen-year-old Sudabeh and her sisters sit glued to the television watching a Hindi pop star tossing her long silken hair around in time to the gyrating music.
It’s the middle of the day and their Iranian friends are at school but as Afghan refugees they have to pay for education this year for the first time.
That meant only one child in the family could go to school and predictably Sudabeh’s brother Khusrow was chosen.
Iran says no fear of UN sanctions over nuclear dispute
AFP: A top aide to Iran’s supreme leader declared on Monday that Tehran did not fear being taken to the Security Council over its nuclear programme and warned that if the UN imposed an oil embargo world prices would go above 100 dollars a barrel.
Ali Akbar Nateq-Nuri, one of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s closest advisors, dismissed as “ridiculous” some suggestions from Europe aimed at persuading Tehran to end uranium enrichment to avoid being summoned by the Security Council.
Iraqi president opposes Fallujah assault, accuses Iran
AFP: Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar accused Iran of orchestrating attacks in his country and declared his
opposition to a threatened assault on the rebel hotbed of Fallujah, in an interview published Monday.
“Iran is playing a negative role in Iraq. It is behind the assassination of more than 18 Iraqi intelligence officers. It is also playing a negative role in southern Iraq,” Yawar told Kuwait’s Al-Qabas newspaper.
Iran Votes to Resume Nuclear Work
New York Times: The hard-line Iranian Parliament unanimously approved a bill on Sunday supporting the resumption of uranium enrichment. The vote comes as talks with European countries over Iran’s nuclear activities have so far failed to produce an agreement.
The measure was supported by all 247 lawmakers who were present
in the 290-member body, with some chanting “Death to America” and “God is great.” The session was carried live on the national radio.
Iran votes to resume nuclear programme
The Independent: The Iranian parliament, which is dominated by hardliners, passed a bill yesterday obliging the government to press ahead with efforts to develop a nuclear energy programme. Amid cries of “Death to America” and “God is Greatest”, parliament did not specifically order the government to resume uranium enrichment immediately or …
Iran FM backs parliament’s decision to resume uranium enrichment
AFP: Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi on Sunday welcomed the decision of his country’s parliament to back the resumption of uranium enrichment. “This is a decision that testifies to Iranian honour. Iran must not be deprived of this legal and legitimate right,” Kharazi told journalists at the end of a visit to Qatar before returning to Tehran.
