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Iran ‘child murder’ trial starts

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BBC: The trial has started in Iran of two men accused of murdering 17 children, two men and a woman in the desert outside the country’s capital, Tehran. Iranian state media said seven others would go on trial later, accused of sexually abusing the children. At least 16 police are being reprimanded or referred to the judiciary for incompetent handling of the investigation into the killings.

Iran ‘won’t negotiate’ with EU on uranium

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DPA: Iran on Tuesday said it would not negotiate with the European Union over a halt to uranium enrichment, just as an inspection team from the United Nations nuclear watchdog arrived in the country.
“We welcome negotiations with the EU but the talks should
just be focused on Irans legitimate right to have peaceful nuclear technology and not on stopping uranium enrichment,” Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told state-run television.

Iranian Vice President Resigns

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AP: An Iranian vice president, who was a close ally of reformist President Mohammad Khatami, resigned Tuesday, saying he could not work with the conservative-dominated parliament.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi first tendered his resignation in February, but it was not accepted. He said Tuesday that the president had accepted his resignation after he insisted …

Russia urges Iran to heed IAEA’s nuclear demands

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Reuters: Russia urged Iran on Sunday to heed the U.N.
nuclear watchdog’s call for it to suspend sensitive nuclear
work that could be used to make atomic bomb material.
Iran, in turn, said it was ready to give whatever assurances were required to show that it will not use nuclear technology to make atomic weapons.

Iran offers Europe deal to produce nuclear energy

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AP: Iran’s foreign minister made Europe an offer Tuesday: recognize our right to enrich uranium and we will guarantee never to produce nuclear bombs.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi put the offer in a speech to an energy conference in Tehran about six weeks before his government has to show the UN nuclear watchdog that it has ceased enrichment and all related activities. Iran has already rejected the demand of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Russia makes nuclear plea to Iran

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BBC: Russia has urged Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment programme in order to avoid possible sanctions from the UN Security Council. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would continue nuclear co-operation with Tehran if it complies with the UN nuclear agency (IAEA). In its meeting last month, the IAEA called on Iran to suspend its nuclear fuel cycle.

Iraq frees 130 Iran prisoners, hundreds remain – TV

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Reuters: Iraq on Monday released 130 Iranians arrested for crossing the border illegally, but another 270 remain behind bars, Iran’s top diplomat in Baghdad told state television.
Washington and some officials in Iraq’s interim government have accused Iran of meddling in Iraq’s affairs and allowing weapons and fighters to cross their long border. Iran denies this accusation.

Iran plots Ramadan infiltration in Iraq

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Washington Times: A top Iranian dissident living in Paris says up to 800 clerics and theology students from Iran are in the process of infiltrating cities in neighboring Iraq in time for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins Friday.
Ayatollah Jalal Ganje’i, a prominent critic of the Iranian regime, said in an interview with The Washington Times that the influx is part of continuing efforts by Tehran’s power brokers to exploit the crisis in Iraq in order to set up a sister fundamentalist Islamic republic.

EU renews carrot offer to Iran in nuclear standoff

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AFP: The European Union reiterated Monday its willingness to renew dialogue with Iran on a host of issues, including trade,
if it suspends uranium enrichment activities.
“If Iran on its side is willing to suspend all activities in the field of enrichment for peaceful purposes, we are willing to continue with the dialogue,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot.

Iran’s Rafsanjani says may stand for presidency

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Reuters: Iranian political heavyweight and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has said he is considering standing for the presidency in polls next year, according to a newspaper.
Rafsanjani, a business-minded, mid-ranking cleric would be a strong candidate for president with the likely support of Iran’s resurgent conservatives. He is also a top advisor to Iran’s most powerful figure Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.