Belfast Newsletter: Two prominent Ulster political figures have travelled to Paris to meet the head of an Iranian opposition movement which seeks to overthrow the current Tehran government.
Ulster politicians on Paris mission to meet Iranian opposition leader
Arrest of billionaire highlights political divisions in Iran
Reuters: While international sanctions have made life a struggle for many Iranians, they were a big break for businessman Babak Zanjani, who made a fortune helping the government evade the restrictions on oil sales. He also made enemies.
UN inspectors visit key Iran uranium mine
AP: A group of U.N. inspectors visited a key uranium mine in southern Iran on Wednesday, as part of a deal to allow expanded monitoring of the country’s nuclear sites.
Obama repels new Iran sanctions push… for now
AFP: President Barack Obama appears to have prevailed, for now, in a campaign to stop Congress from imposing new sanctions on Iran he fears could derail nuclear diplomacy.
Turkey, Iran eye big trade boost despite strained ties
AFP: Turkey and Iran aim to more than double trade to $30 billion (21.9 billion euros) next year from $13.5 billion in 2013 despite strained relations, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.
Iraq, Iran plot to challenge Saudi domination of OPEC
UPI: Hussein Shahristani, Iraq’s energy chief, says Baghdad is working with Iran to boost oil exports, a move by these two Shiite-majority powers that could lead to a major challenge of Sunni Saudi Arabia and its domination of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Iran oil-shipping insurance seen unusable on lack of clarity
Bloomberg: Insurance for tankers to export Iranian crude may be unusable even after the U.S. and the European Union eased sanctions against the Persian Gulf state, a group covering vessel owners said.
UN inspectors in Iran to visit uranium mine
AP: An Iranian official says a group of U.N. inspectors are on the way to visit a key uranium mine as part of a deal to allow expanded monitoring of the country’s nuclear sites.
Iranian lawmakers to visit Britain as diplomatic ties improve
Reuters: Iranian parliamentarians will come to London in the next few months, the first such visit in years, as Iran and Britain try to improve their damaged relations, a group of British lawmakers said on Tuesday.
Obama takes tough line against Iran sanctions to Congress
Reuters: President Barack Obama took his hard line against new sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program directly to U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday by pledging in his annual State of the Union address to veto any legislation that threatens talks with Tehran.
