Reuters: A global network of private companies were blacklisted by the United States on Tuesday for providing revenue to the Iranian government’s leadership and helping it evade the pinch from international sanctions on Tehran’s nuclear program, the U.S. Treasury Department said.
U.S. blacklists global network of Iranian ‘front’ companies
Iran presidential hopeful defends atomic drive
AFP – Ali Akbar Velayati, 67, foreign minister from 1981 to 1997,reiterated Iran’s long-stated position that it is not seeking nuclear arms, arguing that they are “forbidden” under a much-debated religious decree by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US sanctions go after Iran’s currency, auto sector
AFP: The United States unveiled aggressive new sanctions against Iran, directly targeting the rial currency for the first time and also the auto sector, a key source of jobs and revenue.
Iran summons Qatari envoy over ‘terror’ allegation
AP: An Iranian semi-official news agency says Tehran has summoned Qatar’s envoy over an alleged Qatari link to a sabotage and terrorism group. The Tuesday report by Fars agency says Iran’s Foreign Ministry wished to relay a strong protest to the Arab country.
Iran leader tells candidates not to appease West
AP: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged presidential candidates on Tuesday not to make concessions to appease the West, an implied rebuke to several of the candidates running in June 14 elections who said that they would focus on improving the Islamic Republic’s relations with other countries.
IAEA concerned about finding nothing at Iran site after ‘clean-up’
Reuters: U.N. nuclear investigators may no longer find anything if granted access to Iran’s Parchin military site, their chief said on Monday, in view of suspected Iranian efforts to remove any traces of illicit atomic activity there.
Iraq warns Israel on using airspace in Iran strike
AFP: Baghdad has warned Israel that it would respond to any attempts by the Jewish state to use Iraqi airspace for a strike against Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, a top Iraqi minister told AFP.
Total CEO denies bribes were paid on Iranian gas contracts
Bloomberg: Total SA (FP) Chief Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie, who may be put on trial in France for corruption related to Iranian contracts, denied the company paid bribes for the gas permits.
Iran court bans state-owned newspaper for 6 months
AP: Iranian media say that a court has imposed a six-month publishing ban on a state-owned newspaper for its allegedly false reporting.
Iranian intelligence says dismantles sabotage plot
AP: Iran’s intelligence ministry says its agents have dismantled a sabotage and terrorism network linked to Israel and Britain.
