World Tribune: Iraq has been accused of giving the Tehran regime a free hand to attack the exiled Iranian opposition. The NCRI said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki was allowing Iran to strike the exiled opposition community around Baghdad.
Iran opposition charges Iraq’s Al Maliki allowing open attacks on Camp Liberty
Iran wants a seat at Syrian peace talks
Deutsche Welle: After months of uncertainty, there finally is a date for the Syria peace conference, but the guest list remains unclear. Despite its role in the Syrian civil war, the US does not want Iran to attend peace negotiations.
Iran foreign minister to visit Turkey amid corruption probe
AFP: Iran’s foreign minister is set to visit Turkey on Saturday in the midst of a high-level corruption probe looking into illicit money transfers to Tehran. Javad Zarif’s trip comes as Turkey seeks to improve economic and political ties.
The test for diplomacy with Iran
Wall Street Journal: The next six months will likely determine whether the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program can be resolved peacefully, as global powers conduct intensive talks with Tehran aimed at ensuring it can’t produce atomic weapons.
The invisible man: Bill Burns and the secret Iran talks
Reuters: The night before a round of high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran, U.S. President Barack Obama told his chief of staff he had “absolute confidence we have the right team on the field.”
Report: Quake in southern Iran kills 1, injures 12
AP: Iranian state TV says a magnitude 5.5 earthquake has killed one person and injured 12 in a small town in the country’s south. The report says the quake struck early on Thursday morning in the town of Bastak.
Syria expects ‘victories’ thanks to Russia, Iran, China
AFP: The Syrian government is on course to score major diplomatic “victories” thanks to the unfailing support of its allies, including Russia, Iran and China, its prime minister said on Tuesday.
Date ‘set’ to apply Iran nuclear deal: report
AFP: Experts from Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers have chosen January 20 to begin implementing the Geneva deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme, IRNA news agency said Wednesday.
Iran hard-liners join team of nuclear negotiators
AP: Iran has boosted its team in charge of nuclear talks with world powers, adding what are believed to be hard-liners and conservatives in an apparent effort to silence critics of the landmark interim accord reached in Geneva in November.
Increase in Iraq executions draws international ire
AFP: Iraq’s use of the death penalty has increased despite international condemnation, with some fearing execution rates could rise further as officials seek to appear tough on security ahead of elections.
