RFE/RL: Labor rights activists and prominent human rights figures have condemned the lashing sentences that have been handed down in recent weeks to 11 workers in the Iranian province of Kurdistan.
Iran: Activists condemn workers’ lashing sentences
Questions persist on Iran’s nuclear plans
Christian Science Monitor: The document is 15 pages long, and among other things, it describes procedures for fabricating hemispheres of uranium metal key components for a nuclear weapon.
UN vote on new Iran sanctions put off to next week: diplomat
AFP: A Security Council vote on new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear defiance won’t happen until next week as sponsors of the draft mull new amendments to try to secure unanimous support, a Western diplomat said Wednesday.
Iran may face new IAEA governors action: U.S.
Reuters: Iran’s dismissal of intelligence indicating it tested technology relevant to nuclear bombs could trigger action by U.N. nuclear watchdog governors to press Iran for transparency, the chief U.S. envoy said on Wednesday.
UN voices concern over Afghans in Iran border province
AFP: The UN refugee agency on Wednesday expressed concern about tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who risk expulsion from an Iranian frontier province.
Iran agents ‘sabotaging’ anti-Qaeda groups: Iraq intel chief
AFP: Iranian secret service agents are working to “sabotage” the operations of groups fighting Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Baghdad’s intelligence chief said on Wednesday.
Qatari PM in Iran as U.S. pushes for isolation
Reuters: Qatar’s prime minister began talks in Iran on Tuesday, the second visit in 10 days by a Gulf Arab premier at a time when the United States is pressing countries in the region to isolate the Islamic Republic.
Russia ready to support sanctions against Iran: envoy
AFP: Russia is ready to support new UN sanctions against Iran if Tehran does not change tack on its nuclear programme, Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, told journalists on Wednesday.
Russia warns Iran: stop enrichment or face sanctions
Reuters: Russia warned Iran on Wednesday that unless it ceases uranium enrichment within days Moscow will support new United Nations sanctions being prepared by the West against the Islamic Republic.
Iran built space rocket in just months
AP: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that the research rocket Iran recently launched was built in just nine months without using any foreign models.
