Reuters: Significant differences remain between the six world powers and Iran in negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, British Foreign Minister William Hague told an Austrian newspaper. In an interview conducted by the Wiener Zeitung via email on Wednesday and published on Thursday, Hague said a deal was far from certain but that all possibilities should be exhausted in a final round of talks now taking place in Vienna.
Iran nuclear talks sides far apart: Hague tells paper
NY court OKs $1.75B award in Iran terror cases
AP: A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that $1.75 billion for terrorism-related judgments against Iran can be distributed to victims of attacks, including a 1983 bombing that killed 241 Marines in Lebanon. Washington lawyer Thomas Fortune Fay said the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruling affects 1,300 individual cases that were combined in New York.
Iran Sends 3 Attack Planes to Iraqi Government
New York Times: Deepening its involvement in the crisis in Iraq, Iran has sent three Russian-made attack planes to the Maliki government that could be deployed against the Sunni militants who have wreaked havoc on Iraqi military forces. Delivery of the Su-25 aircraft, which American officials said had already conducted missions in western and northern Iraq, is the latest step Iran has taken to help Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.
Iran wants to greatly expand uranium enrichment
AP: Iran said Wednesday it wants to greatly expand its uranium enrichment program despite Western fears that it could be used to make atomic arms. The position outlined by Iranian nuclear agency head Ali Akbar Salehi appeared to be the most detailed yet of what Tehran wants at its closed-door negotiations with six world powers. It also highlighted the huge obstacles in the way of an agreement by a July 20 target date.
Iran reviews gas relationship with Russia
UPI: Iran’s deputy minister for gas affairs said Wednesday he was expecting Russia to start investing in the Iranian natural gas industry. Deputy Minister for Gas Affairs Hamid-Reza Araqi said Russian companies may be interested in building natural gas pipelines in Iran. Both sides, he said, “are determined to boost their cooperation” in the gas industry.
Joe Lieberman: U.S. broke its word
Politico: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman on Tuesday accused the United States of breaking its word in Iraq and said America is now responsible for the humanitarian crisis facing the country.“No matter what you think about what’s happening in Iraq, what’s happening in Iran, America broke its word here and we can’t let that happen,” Lieberman said on Fox News.
Iran nuclear negotiations hit fresh hurdle
Wall Street Journal: Nuclear negotiations between Iran and six major powers hit a fresh hurdle this week when the country’s Supreme Leader said Iran needs significantly greater enrichment capacity. Khamenei’s comment in a speech Monday to senior level technocrats and military personnel came as negotiators in Vienna struggle to complete a final nuclear agreement by the July 20 deadline.
France says Russia, other powers have differences over Iran talks
Reuters: France’s foreign minister said on Tuesday “differences in approach” between Russia and some of the other five world powers negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme had appeared in the past few days. Speaking to parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Laurent Fabius also said none of the major outstanding issues in the talks had been settled and that the United States wanted foreign ministers to join the negotiations in Vienna.
Iraq VP to U.S.: stay out of our civil war
Daily Beast: “It’s a really annoying development. The U.S. is in the process of committing itself into another set of grave mistakes. Definitely we consider all this military support to Nouri al-Maliki an alliance with Iran against the Arab Sunnis,” Iraq’s exiled Vice President said. “Try to avoid any use of military means, try to be fair, try to diffuse the bomb by asking Nouri al-Maliki to immediately to establish a caretaker government. Try to be neutral at least.”
U.S. Scrutiny for Banks Shifts to Commerzbank and Germany
New York Times: A trail of illicit money led the American government on a hunt through the European financial system, generating criminal cases against banks in Britain, Switzerland and most recently, France. Now the crackdown is bound for another European financial center: Germany. State and federal authorities have begun settlement talks with Commerzbank, over the bank’s dealings with Iran and other countries blacklisted by the United States.
