AFP: The British and Iranian foreign ministers will meet in New York later this month, the Foreign Office said Sunday, after both sides indicated they wanted to restore ties suspended after an attack on the British embassy in Tehran in 2011.
British, Iranian top diplomats to meet in NY this month
Obama welcomes Syria deal, expects Assad compliance
AFP: US President Barack Obama welcomed the deal reached Saturday to strip Syria of chemical weapons but said much remains to be done and warned Damascus to comply with the accord.
Iran hopes detention of Indian tanker won’t affect ties
Business Standard: Iran has described its recent detention of an Indian tanker as a “technical” matter and hoped that the issue will not come in the way of its strong relations with India.
Iran says US no longer has pretext to attack Syria
AFP: Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Saturday the United States no longer has a pretext to attack Syria, following a deal struck to eliminate that country’s chemical weapons.
U.S., Russia strike deal on Syria chemical weapons
Reuters: Russia and the United States put aside bitter differences over Syria to strike a deal on Saturday that by destroying President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical arsenal may avert U.S. military action against him.
Obama’s larger Syria strategy in disarray
AP: After 2 1/2 years of civil war in Syria, President Barack Obama’s larger policy is in disarray even as his administration, with help from Russia, averted a military showdown for the time being.
Trust in Maliki harms U.S. credibility
UPI: It is hard to characterize the United States’ relations with Iraq in recent years. More often than not, Washington hesitates to hold Baghdad accountable for its continued support of the Syrian president and carrying out deadly raids against the Iranian refugees at Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty.
Iran’s Press TV dodges sanctions on YouTube
New York Times: As my colleague Michael Schwirtz reported, Iran’s new foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, addressed the crisis in Syria in an English-language interview this week on Press TV, a state-owned satellite channel that exists to put Tehran’s spin on the news.
Syrian rebels skeptical of chemical weapons deal
AP: Syria’s main opposition group in exile was “deeply skeptical” Friday about Damascus signing an international treaty banning the production and use of chemical weapons, saying a U.N. resolution was needed to enforce compliance.
Iran urges ‘new steps’ from Russia on nuclear crisis
AFP: Iran’s new leader Hassan Rowhani on Friday urged Moscow to help solve Tehran’s nuclear crisis as he met President Vladimir Putin for a key meeting at a security summit in Kyrgzystan.
