The Hill: Images of unrest emerging from Iraq are deeply troubling and concerns relating to the rise of ISIS come from a noble place – an American belief that bullies should be held accountable. But such convictions are misplaced when it comes to the ongoing crisis on the Iraqi street. The real threat to peace and security in the Middle East is the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iran is the real Middle East threat
Simin Behbahani, Iranian poet quoted by Obama, dies at age 87
Bloomberg: Iranian poet Simin Behbahani, whose politically defiant writing was mentioned by U.S. President Barack Obama in a message aimed at improving relations with the Islamic Republic, has died at the age of 87 in Tehran. Behbahani died from heart failure at around 1:15 a.m. local time today at a hospital in the Iranian capital, her son, Ali Behbahani, said in a phone interview.
Standard Chartered fined $300 million over laundering controls
AFP: New York state’s banking regulator hit Standard Chartered Bank with a $300 million fine and restrictions on its dollar-clearing business Tuesday for not detecting possible money laundering. The new punishment came two years after the bank paid US regulators $667 million to settle charges it violated US sanctions by handling thousands of money transactions involving Iran, Myanmar, Libya and Sudan.
Iran kills 16 in mass purge
Free Beacon: Iran reportedly carried out the mass execution of 16 prisoners incarcerated in the Qezel Hessar Prison in Karaj early Monday, prompting outrage from dissident groups and bringing the total number of executions to well over 800 since Iranian President Hassan Rouhani assumed office last August under the guise of being a moderate reformer, according to an Iranian opposition group.
PWC settles with New York regulator for $25 million
New York Times: New York State’s financial regulator announced a settlement deal with the giant consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In 2007 the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi hired PWC to conduct a review of transactions with Iran and other countries under sanctions, including some transfers routed through its New York branch. In the settlement, Mr. Lawsky accused the firm of “improperly altering” the report.
Strong quake hits remote area in southwest Iran
AP: A strong, magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted a sparsely populated mountainous province near Iran’s border with Iraq on Monday, Iranian state television reported. There were no reports of fatalities but a local official said there were injuries and that the temblor had caused damage. The TV said the quake hit the town of Murmuri, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southwest of the capital.
Obama’s policies prolong life of Iranian regime
Columbia Tribune: Nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers are in the homestretch as the two sides agreed to an extension of the so-far-fruitless talks for another four months. While U.S. policy in the talks has been directed by the White House, many in Congress, along with independent critics, remain concerned about a deal that might give Iran a long leash.
Iran tells UN nuclear chief no talks on missiles
AP: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told the visiting head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Sunday that Tehran will not discuss its long-range missile program as part of talks aimed at resolving a decade-long nuclear dispute, official media reported. “Iran’s missile power is not negotiable at any level under any pretext,” Rouhani told Yukiya Amano, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
UN nuclear chief holds Iran talks as deadlines loom
AFP: The head of the UN atomic watchdog held talks in Iran on Sunday ahead of an August 25 deadline for Tehran to answer decade-old allegations of past nuclear weapons research. Yukiya Amano held morning talks with Foreign Minister Mohammaf Javad Zarif before meeting President Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.
Russia, Iran collaborating to bypass western sanctions
Newsmax: Russia and Iran appear to be working together to get around Washington’s stricter sanctions by joining forces in an oil deal that doesn’t appear to make much financial sense. Earlier this month, Russian Energy Minister and his counterpart in Tehran signed a five-year memorandum of understanding in Moscow, which includes helping Iran ship crude oil even into the oil-saturated Russian market, reports Reuters.
