New York Times: United Nations human rights experts called on Wednesday for an urgent halt to a surge in executions in Iran in recent weeks. Iran reportedly hanged 40 people in the first two weeks of January, 33 of them in the last week.
Iran: Surge in executions worries rights experts
Iran comments a new headache for Washington
AFP: Claims by top Iranian leaders that Washington is misrepresenting terms of an interim nuclear deal left the White House with a new political headache Thursday as it battles to build support for the pact.
Clearstream pays $152 mn over Iran sanctions violations
AFP: Luxembourg financial clearing house Clearstream Banking will pay the United States $152 million to settle accusations it illegally helped Iran’s central bank access the US financial system, the Treasury announced Thursday.
Syrian peace talks yield hard stances, slight hope
AP: Syria’s government said stopping terrorism – not talking peace – was its priority, while the Western-backed opposition said “the road to negotiations” had begun, offering a glimmer of hope Thursday for a way to halt the violence that has killed more than 130,000 people.
Iran oil exports exaggerated, U.S. officials say
Bloomberg: Iran is exaggerating its crude oil export figures and won’t be allowed to sell more than 1 million barrels a day over the next six months, U.S. officials involved in managing sanctions against the country said.
Iranian official on nuke deal: ‘We did not agree to dismantle anything’
CNN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted Wednesday that the Obama administration mischaracterizes concessions by his side in the six-month nuclear deal with Iran, telling CNN in an exclusive interview that “we did not agree to dismantle anything.”
French Senators express support for Iranian Resistance
PRNewswire: French senators representing several political parties united today in support Iranian dissidents and in opposition to Iran’s meddling in regional crises, notably Syria and Iraq.
Financing death: Iran’s ‘War on Drugs’
UPI: This controversial drug control program, financed both bilaterally and via the UNODC, has enabled the regime in Tehran to carry out a “killing spree of staggering proportions” as Amnesty International puts it.
Eni’s Recchi interested in seeing Iran open up as sanctions end
Bloomberg: Giuseppe Recchi, chairman of Italy’s biggest energy company Eni SpA (ENI), said he’d be interested in seeing Iran open up to investment following years of sanctions.
Khamenei’s business empire gains from Iran sanctions relief
Reuters: One of the chief beneficiaries of this week’s easing of Iranian sanctions is the country’s ruler – Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei controls a massive business empire known as Setad.
