AFP: Syrian troops on Sunday fought rebel fighters in the country’s two main cities Damascus and Aleppo, as Iran acknowledged for the first time it has elite forces present in Syria and Lebanon as “counsellors.”
Iran admits its elite forces operating in Syria
Ban says Israel attack against Iran ‘unacceptable’
Bloomberg: An Israeli military offensive against Iran would be “unacceptable,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, expressing concern over the “fierce rhetoric” on the issue, Agence France-Presse reported.
Iran announces drone that flies 24 hours
UPI: Iran’s military announced in Tehran Sunday it has reached its goal of developing a drone aircraft that can fly for 24 hours and carry missiles.
Iran’s children look on and families cry for pardons at daily hangings
Observer: Hanging is the common method for execution in Iran. The judicial killings usually take place in the morning as the sun rises, often at the crime scene or in a city centre.
Netanyahu: Containment policy for Iran won’t work
AP: Israel’s prime minister says a policy of containment for Iran will not work because Tehran is guided by a “leadership of fanaticism.”
S. Korea halts crude imports from Iran after insurance lost
Bloomberg: South Korea stopped buying crude oil from Iran in August after its refiners lost insurance coverage on ships carrying the fuel from the Persian Gulf nation.
US extends sanctions waivers for Japan, Europeans
AP: The Obama administration has exempted Japan and 10 European countries from U.S. economic sanctions because they have reduced significantly their purchases of petroleum from Iran.
Israel leader says US may not act against Iran
AP: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insinuated in an interview published Friday that Israel cannot entirely rely on the U.S. to act against Iran’s suspect nuclear program, a sign that the Israeli leader is not backing down from the sharp rhetoric that strained relations this week with the Obama administration.
Iran: Hezbollah will defend us “easily” against Israeli attack
Reuters: An aide to Iran’s supreme leader said Israel’s military threats had “put Israeli citizens one step away from the cemetery” and that Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was ready to hit back.
Oil approaches $100 in New York on Fed stimulus, Mideast unrest
Bloomberg: Oil rose to the highest level in four months on speculation that economic stimulus in the U.S. will boost fuel demand, and concern that unrest in the Middle East and North Africa will disrupt supplies.
