Reuters: Turkish lender Halkbank , little known outside Turkey, has gained a reputation in the oil market over the past 18 months for handling transactions that other banks fear to touch – trade deals with Iran.

AP: China says new U.S. sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad won’t affect its business dealings with Tehran.

Reuters: Turkey will seek a waiver from the United States to exempt Turkish oil importer Tupras from new U.S. sanctions on institutions that deal with Iran’s central bank, a Turkish energy official told Reuters on Wednesday.

AP: A Pakistani official says three Iranian border guards held here face murder charges after fatally shooting a man inside Pakistan’s territory while chasing smugglers.

Reuters: South Korea will buy around 10 percent of its crude from Iran in 2012, up slightly from last year, as the country seeks a waiver from toughened U.S. sanctions that could disrupt Iranian oil shipments.

AP: Officials say Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will visit Iran for talks on the country’s nuclear program and developments in Iraq and Syria.

Reuters: A Republican senator on Tuesday questioned President Barack Obama’s commitment to new sanctions on Iran’s central bank, noting the president had claimed the right to sidestep some of the requirements when he signed them into law last week.

AP: The Obama administration on Tuesday brushed aside Iran’s warning to keep U.S. aircraft carriers out of the Gulf, dismissing its threats as a consequence of hard-hitting American sanctions on the Iranian economy.