AFP – Some 2,000 rebels and civilians were to begin leaving besieged opposition-held districts of Homs in central Syria on Wednesday under a deal between fighters and the government. The deal will be guaranteed by the United Nations and Iran, according to a copy of the text seen by AFP.
Evacuation of Syria’s Homs rebel districts to begin
Iran warships dock in Sudan: Khartoum military
AFP: Two Iranian warships docked in Sudan on Monday, Khartoum’s military said, emphasising what analysts say are poor relations between Islamist Sudan and its Arab neighbours. Sudan’s army spokesman said the warships, one of them a navy supply ship, had arrived in Port Sudan.
Fire breaks out in industrial Iranian city
AP: A large fire broke out Tuesday in an oil and wood storage facility in an industrial city in northern Iran, but only one person was injured, officials said. The mayor of Qazvin denied earlier reports that there was an explosion at the site. He also said firefighters had contained the blaze.
Iran admiral: US ships are a target in case of war
AP: Iran will target American aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf should a war between the two countries ever break out, the naval chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned Tuesday as the country completes work on a large-scale mock-up of a U.S. carrier.
Dictators need no excuses to crack down on dissent
The Hill: “Don’t give them an excuse to crack down on dissent,” is a favorite sophism spread among foreign-policy elites, lazy bureaucrats and big-chair academics. Dictators love it. The Obama administration remained shamefully silent throughout that tragic crackdown on Iranian dissent.
Iran Guards suspected of keeping secret funds in Asia
Kyodo News International: An Iranian elite group is suspected of keeping secret funds in various parts of the world including South Korea and Malaysia, dodging internationally coordinated economic sanctions, people familiar with the matter said Sunday.
China aims to boost military relations with Iran
Reuters: China wants deeper defense ties with Iran, Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan told his Iranian counterpart on Monday, according to Chinese state media, as Beijing moves to cement already close ties with a major oil supplier.
Iran tests foreign interest with oil fair
AFP: Iran’s annual oil and gas fair opens in Tehran on Tuesday, with 600 foreign companies seeking to position themselves for a return to large-scale operations if international sanctions are lifted.
Islamic Jihad gains new traction in Gaza
New York Times: Analysts say that because it is backed by Iranian funds and free of any burden of governing, Islamic Jihad has been able to assert itself while Hamas is partly blamed by a restive population for rampant unemployment and daily shortfalls of fuel, electricity and water.
Iran triples trade envoys abroad to boost commerce
AP: Tehran will almost triple the number of commercial attaches in its embassies abroad to boost trade ties. Miraboutaleb Badri, an official with the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, is quoted on Monday as saying the government is raising the number of commercial attaches abroad from 11 to 30.
