Reuters: The night before a round of high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran, U.S. President Barack Obama told his chief of staff he had “absolute confidence we have the right team on the field.”
The invisible man: Bill Burns and the secret Iran talks
Report: Quake in southern Iran kills 1, injures 12
AP: Iranian state TV says a magnitude 5.5 earthquake has killed one person and injured 12 in a small town in the country’s south. The report says the quake struck early on Thursday morning in the town of Bastak.
Syria expects ‘victories’ thanks to Russia, Iran, China
AFP: The Syrian government is on course to score major diplomatic “victories” thanks to the unfailing support of its allies, including Russia, Iran and China, its prime minister said on Tuesday.
Date ‘set’ to apply Iran nuclear deal: report
AFP: Experts from Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers have chosen January 20 to begin implementing the Geneva deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme, IRNA news agency said Wednesday.
Iran hard-liners join team of nuclear negotiators
AP: Iran has boosted its team in charge of nuclear talks with world powers, adding what are believed to be hard-liners and conservatives in an apparent effort to silence critics of the landmark interim accord reached in Geneva in November.
Increase in Iraq executions draws international ire
AFP: Iraq’s use of the death penalty has increased despite international condemnation, with some fearing execution rates could rise further as officials seek to appear tough on security ahead of elections.
A new dictator takes Iraq to the brink
UPI: The violent arrest in Iraq of leading Sunni Member of Parliament Ahmed al-Alwani marks yet another step in that country’s rapid descent into sectarian anarchy and civil war.
Jack Straw to visit Iran to help rebuild ties
Reuters: On Monday, the office of Jack Straw, a former British foreign secretary, released a statement saying he would be part of a four-man delegation to visit Tehran from January 6 to January 10.
China may raise Iran oil imports with new contract: sources
Reuters: China may buy more Iranian oil next year as a state trader is negotiating a new light crude contract that could raise imports from Tehran to levels not seen since tough Western sanctions were imposed in 2012, running the risk of upsetting Washington.
Bahrain says it seized Iranian, Syrian explosives
AFP: Bahraini authorities said Monday they have seized a boat smuggling explosives made in Iran and Syria into the Sunni-ruled kingdom, which quashed a Shiite-led uprising in 2011.
