AFP: US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Israel on Wednesday for the first time since world powers struck a nuclear deal with Iran that angered the Jewish state, and amid renewed efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. The two issues are expected to dominate meetings Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister.
AFP: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived in Iran on Wednesday, state television reported, for two days of talks that will also focus on the conflict raging in Syria. It is Maliki’s first visit to Tehran since Hassan Rouhani became Iran’s president.
Reuters: The White House said on Tuesday it opposes a fresh effort by some members of the U.S. Senate to impose new sanctions against Iran, even if the new restrictions would not take effect for months.
AFP: Iran’s police chief Esmaeel Ahmadi Moghaddam on Monday criticised officials who “cross red lines” by using banned social media networks, Mehr news agency reported. Tehran blocks access to popular websites including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
AFP: Britain’s new envoy to Tehran, Ajay Sharma, is to visit Iran on Tuesday for the first time to try to consolidate a thaw in ties which were severed in 2011, officials said. Habibollah-Zadeh told IRNA on Monday that he would also be travelling to London.
UPI: The White House says new sanctions being crafted on Capitol Hill may split Washington from its partners, while a key lawmaker calls them an “insurance policy.” “If you want to hold our feet to the fire on the final deal, fine, do that,” a senior administration official told The Washington Post.
Reuters: Iran said on Sunday it wanted stronger cooperation with U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, as it seeks to ease concerns among Gulf Arab neighbors about a potential resurgence in its influence following a nuclear deal with world powers.
Wall Street Journal: The White House on Sunday faced sharp criticism of the Iran nuclear deal struck last week from members of both parties who say the accord doesn’t go far enough. even some Democrats in Congress say the U.S. gave up too much.
The Hill: Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Sunday slammed the recent deal with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programs, saying he’s “very discouraged.” The deal is “a total victory” for Iran, Corker said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Bloomberg: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought his campaign against the Iran agreement to Europe, saying in Rome yesterday sanctions intended to rein in the Islamic republic’s nuclear program are already crumbling.
