New York Times: Nearly 1,700 pounds of heroin was smuggled into the Netherlands last week hidden in a shipment of Iranian raisins, Dutch police investigators said Monday. The heroin, valued at about $23 million, was seized by the investigators last Thursday. Two men were arrested.
The Netherlands: Heroin shipped from Iran seized
July deadline for Iran nuclear deal appears in jeopardy – envoys
Reuters: It is increasingly unlikely that six world powers and Iran will meet their July 20 deadline to negotiate a long-term deal for Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for an end to economic sanctions, diplomats and analysts say.
Why Tehran’s media broke the MEK taboo
AugustaFreePress: It has been a fixed policy of the state-run media to completely censor news about the activities of the main Iranian opposition group, the MEK. Tehran seeks to give the impression to the Iranian public that the MEK is insignificant and marginal at best.
Iran, North Korea as proliferation epicenters
Asia Times Online: Iran’s relationship with North Korea continues to be an issue of concern. According to media reports, a significant amount of Iran’s missile programs came from North Korea. The fact is that Iran has its own significant nuclear infrastructure.
Chicken or egg – human rights or nuclear controls?
Huffington Post: So which came first? When the latest round of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme ended in Vienna reports from both sides indicated that there had been no progress to speak of. Reactions to the failure of those talks were diverse.
Political opponent hanged for backing opposition group
Free Beacon: Gholamreza Khosravi, a 49-year-old Iranian political dissident, was hanged in prison early Sunday due to his support for the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI), an opposition group that seeks to overthrow the ruling regime.
US renews concerns over number of Iran executions
AFP: The United States on Monday voiced renewed concerns about the “large” number of executions in Iran, the day after political prisoner, Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani was hanged for helping the opposition group, the PMOI.
U.N. nuclear chief says bomb probe will take time
Reuters: The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday that Iran had begun to engage substantively with a long-thwarted probe into suspected atom bomb research, but that more was needed to clear up his concerns.
Act of Cowardice
Iran Focus: Iran’s ruling tyrants have executed yet another political prisoner. Why is the West ignoring abhorrent human rights violations in Iran? The ongoing nuclear negotiations with Tehran are simply not an excuse.
Kuwait’s ruler makes rare visit to Iran to build ties
Reuters: Kuwait’s emir began a visit to Iran on Sunday, the first by a ruler of the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state since the 1979 Islamic revolution, underscoring improving ties between Tehran and its Arab neighbours.
