Washington Post: The Arab Awakening has caused a crisis in the Middle East that will take years to sort out. There is one Middle East crisis, however, that must be resolved in months, not years.
To stop Iran, Obama must enforce red lines with Assad
Obama makes case for Syria strikes to skeptical public
Bloomberg: President Barack Obama intensified his campaign to persuade a reluctant American public to back military action against Syria as Bashar al-Assad threatened retaliation “direct and indirect” if the U.S. attacks.
Iran may spoil govt’s plan to curtail dollar dependence
Business Standard: Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily’s grand plan to support the economy by lowering dollar outflows on account of the country’s crude oil purchases might be spoilt, with Iran likely to reject India’s offer of a full payment against trade.
Deutsche Boerse outlines terms for Iran settlement
Reuters: Deutsche Boerse on Monday approved terms for a settlement to dismiss claims from relatives of American victims of a 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut.
US says Syria strike would deter Iran
AFP: The United States needs to strike Syria in part to send a message to its ally Iran over its nuclear program, President Barack Obama’s national security adviser said Monday.
Blocking action on Syria makes an attack on Iran more likely
Washington Post: The opponents of congressional authorization for military strikes against Syria are focused on one set of concerns: the belief that the costs of action are simply too high and uncertain. Syria for them is a civil war, with few apparent good guys and far too many bad guys.
Iran’s president urges government on Facebook
AP: Iran’s curious world of online politics looked a bit more crowded Monday with members of President Hasan Rouhani’s Cabinet encouraged to open their own Facebook pages – in a country where authorities, at the same time, try to block the public from social media.
Iran oil-export capacity seen rising 6.4% in ship-tracking data
Bloomberg: The combined carrying capacity of oil tankers leaving Iranian ports last month rose 6.4 percent from July, vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. The data may be incomplete because not all ship transmissions are captured.
U.N. nuclear chief says ‘urgent’ for Iran to address concerns
Reuters: The U.N. nuclear chief told Iran on Monday it was “essential and urgent” for it to address concerns about suspected atomic bomb research, signaling his hope that the new government in Tehran will stop stonewalling his inspectors.
Iranian foreign minister visits neighboring Iraq
AP: Iran’s new foreign minister arrived in Iraq on Sunday on his first trip abroad since taking office, underscoring the growing links between the two Shiite-led neighbors. Mohammad Javad Zarif was met at Baghdad International Airport by his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshyar Zebari.
