Reuters: Iran has invited envoys from developing nations accredited to the U.N. nuclear watchdog to visit its nuclear sites in a show of openness about its atomic fuel program, diplomats said.
Iran invites IAEA envoys to visit nuclear sites
U.N. nuclear agency stops some Iran aid
AP: The U.N. nuclear agency has suspended some aid to Iran in line with Security Council sanctions calling for an end to assistance for programs that could be misused to make an atomic weapon, diplomats said Wednesday.
Iran’s nuclear stance not ‘cost-free’, UK warns
Reuters: British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett warned Iran on Wednesday that its persistent refusal to negotiate on nuclear issues was not a “cost-free option”.
Gates meets Saudi king, Iran on the agenda
Reuters: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates held talks with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah on Wednesday in Riyadh which he said he hoped would include issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme.
Full text of GCC-Plus-Two statement on regional security
Iran Focus: London, Jan. 17 – The following is the full text of a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Plus Two, following their meeting on Tuesday in Kuwait City. The GCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf states are joined by Egypt and Jordan to make up the GCC-Plus-Two.
Full text of GCC-Plus-Two statement on regional security
Iran Focus: London, Jan. 17 – The following is the full text of a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Plus Two, following their meeting on Tuesday in Kuwait City. The GCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf states are joined by Egypt and Jordan to make up the GCC-Plus-Two.
Saudi Arabia rules out emergency OPEC meeting
AFP: Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi said Tuesday there is no need for an emergency OPEC meeting to discuss a possible output cut since the situation in the crude oil market is “healthy”.
White House denies plans to invade Iran
AFP: The White House on Tuesday again denied it had plans to invade Iran, emphasizing diplomacy with the Islamic republic and asserting great “respect, admiration and affection for the people of Iran.”
Iran unlikely to play constructive role in Latin America: US official
AFP: Iran is unlikely to play a constructive role in Latin America, a US official said Tuesday after Iran’s president created a strategic fund with ally Venezuela during a tour of the region.
Iranian detained in Iraq tied to Vienna murders: report
AFP: One of five Iranians arrested by US forces in Iraq last week is the suspected leader of a commando team that assassinated three Iranian Kurds in Vienna in 1989, Austrian public radio has reported.
