Bloomberg: Iran and world powers are unlikely to strike a deal this week that would lift international sanctions in exchange for a cut in the Persian Gulf nation’s nuclear activities, said a former White House adviser.
Iran atomic deal before June unlikely, ex-Obama adviser says
US restraint in Syria could aid Iran nuclear talks
AP: President Barack Obama’s reluctance to give military aid to Syrian rebels may be explained, in part, in three words: Iranian nuclear weapons.
UN arms trade pact passes over objections by Iran, Syria
Bloomberg: The first international treaty regulating the $70 billion global arms trade was approved today in a lopsided vote at the United Nations General Assembly, days after it was delayed by a handful of countries led by Iran.
Iraq poll hopefuls targeted in politics of death
AFP: On a Sunday evening in March, gunmen walked into the offices of a prominent lawyer in the Iraqi capital, opened fire and left him for dead. A friend discovered his body a short time later.
Iran cools nuclear work as vote looms
Wall Street Journal: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has decided to keep Iran’s nuclear program within limits demanded by Israel for now, according to senior U.S., European and Israeli officials, in a move they believe is designed to avert an international crisis during an Iranian election year.
Iranian tourists in Egypt showcase warming ties
AP: More than 50 Iranian tourists arrived by boat to the ancient city of Luxor on Monday as part of a rare visit that showcases how much ties between the two countries have warmed since Islamist President Mohammed Morsi came to power last year.
Iranians rebel over price of beloved pistachio
AP: This should be the time of year that nut shop owner Mohammad Ahmadi counts his profits, after the recent Persian new year holiday when Iranians scarf up huge amounts of their iconic snack, pistachios.
At the U.N., Iran is a powerhouse, not a pariah
Wall Street Journal: President Obama likes to describes Iran as “isolated.” But there is nothing lonely about Iran’s berth at the United Nations, where in the corridors and on the boards of powerful agencies, the Islamic Republic has been cultivating its own mini-empire.
The best red line for a nuclear Iran
Washington Post: As the great powers contemplate a solution to the Iranian nuclear conundrum, they would be prudent to appreciate how Tehran uses diplomacy to complement its quest for nuclear arms.
Bahraini given 10-year jail term for spying for Iran
AFP: A Bahraini accused of spying for Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards unit has had his 10-year jail sentence confirmed by a court of appeal, the state news agency BNA reported.
