Reuters: Hardline Iranian politicians called on the government on Sunday to sever all diplomatic ties with Britain in a rapidly escalating row over the opening of a new airport serving Tehran. Britain and Canada issued warnings on Friday to travellers to avoid using the Imam Khomeini International Airport, which opened on Saturday, due to concerns the runway may be unsafe.
New airport sparks Iran-British diplomatic row
Uranium work to restart in days
The Sunday Times: IRAN may resume work on its nuclear programme at Esfahan as early as next week, the countrys top nuclear negotiator was quoted as saying yesterday. Hassan Rohani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, reportedly said it was likely that unspecified nuclear activities related to uranium enrichment would begin again.
From the ‘axis of evil’ to the axles of Rover, Iran looks to the West
The Independent on Sunday: The news that Iranian companies could be interested in buying what’s left of the collapsed MG Rover has raised plenty of eyebrows. That Iran, part of George Bush’s “axis of evil”, could be the final destination for the car maker shows how low it has sunk, was the typical response. MG Rover’s plight is indeed desperate. But it should not come as such a surprise that Iranian companies could be interested in buying it.
Shias ‘infiltrated by Iran’ to control Iraqi police force
Daily Telegraph: Control of Iraq’s police force was handed to a Shia Arab party with historic links to Iran yesterday despite warnings by American intelligence that Iranian agents have infiltrated the group’s paramilitary wing. The announcement that Baqir Soulagh, a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), is to be interior minister risks alienating Iraq’s Sunni Arab community whose support is needed if the insurgency is to be defeated.
Iran says no to foreign election observers
AFP: Iran said on Saturday that it will not accept any foreign monitoring of its June 17 presidential elections, asserting that international observers were neither permitted nor required.
“Observing the elections is a red line that no foreigner should cross,” said Gholam Hossien Elham, a spokesman for Iran’s Guardians Council — a hardline-controlled political watchdog.
Iran complains over FIFA sanction
AFP: Iran has complained to FIFA over sanctions imposed for a fatal crush after a match against Japan on March 26, accusing the Japanese — its main rival in the World Cup qualifiers — of being behind the decision. “We will object to this decision and we will try to cancel it,” Iranian football federation spokesman Gholamhossein Zamanabadi told the official news agency IRNA.
Safety fears raised as new Iran airport opens
Reuters: Britain and Canada advised travellers late on Friday not to use Iran’s main new international airport because of concern over its safety, just hours before the airport was due to receive its first flights. “We are aware of reports that the runway at the new Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran may not yet be suitable for use,” the British Foreign Office said of the airport, due to open on Saturday.
Iran May Resume Nuclear Program Next Week If EU Talks End
Bloomberg: Iran may resume its nuclear program in the coming week if the Islamic Republic fails to reach an agreement with the European Union on the suspension of uranium- enrichment activities, an Iranian official said. “Parts
of the activities may be resumed in Isfahan next week” Hassan Rouhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Security Council said today, the state-run Iranian News Agency reported.
Iran warns may restart nuclear work
Reuters: Iran threatened to resume sensitive atomic activities unless France, Britain and Germany agreed at a meeting on Friday to allow it to carry out small-scale uranium enrichment. The latest proposal from Tehran suggests it be allowed to
build up its uranium enrichment programme in stages, beginning with a small “pilot” enrichment plant and ending
with a commercial-scale complex.
European Parliament condemns Iran rights abuses
Iran Focus: Brussels, Apr. 29 The European Parliament adopted a resolution yesterday, calling on Iran to end its increasing human rights violations. The EP resolution said
that it was very concerned that the human rights situation has deteriorated in the last two years and calls on the Iranian authorities to make a serious commitment to reversing this trend.
