Reuters: The United Nations agreed on Friday to keep investigating reports of human rights violations in Iran, a move welcomed by activists who report a crackdown ahead of presidential elections.
U.N. keeps focus on Iran human rights in run-up to election
Iran faces oil losses as Asian buyers balk
UPI: Iran faces losing a big part of its oil revenues as key Asian trading partners cut back on Iranian imports because of escalating U.S. and European pressure.
U.S. to hold bankers responsible for sanctions violations
Reuters: The U.S. Treasury Department plans to hold bankers personally responsible and subject them to fines when their banks help countries such as Iran evade economic sanctions.
Korea’s Jan-Feb Iran crude imports down 23.7 pct y/y
Reuters: South Korea’s imports of crude oil from Iran fell nearly a quarter in the first two months of this year from a year earlier as the country faced U.S. sanctions pressure targeting Tehran’s nuclear development, Korean official data showed on Friday.
Cyprus convicts Hezbollah operative
Washington Post: Pressure for Europe to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization increased after a court in Cyprus found a man guilty of helping to plan an attack on Israeli tourists in the island nation. The Iran-backed group, which is also a mainstream political and social movement in Lebanon, is the primary voice of the Shiite community there.
Senators seek to target Iranian business in euros
AP: Two senators are proposing a new round of Iran sanctions aimed at preventing the Islamic republic from doing business around the world in euros.
Iran leader hints at first direct US nuclear talks
AFP: Iran’s supreme leader on Thursday signalled openness for the first time to US offers to hold direct talks on his country’s disputed nuclear drive, but voiced pessimism over the chances of a breakthrough.
Standard Chartered forced to apologize for Iran statement
Bloomberg: Standard Chartered Plc (STAN) Chairman John Peace was forced by U.S. regulators to apologize for claiming breaches of sanctions on Iran that led to a $667 million fine were unintentional.
Iran will destroy Israeli cities if attacked: Khamenei
Reuters: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday that the Islamic Republic would destroy the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if its nuclear infrastructure came under attack from the Jewish state.
UK top court holds first secret session over Iran case
Reuters: Britain’s Supreme Court held the first secret session in its history on Thursday to consider evidence about an Iranian bank’s alleged links to Tehran’s nuclear program that the British government does not want to make public.
