Join us on

News

Eye on Iran

RSS

Sep 02

Top Stories

Reuters: "Japan is set to toughen sanctions against Iran as early as this week over its disputed nuclear programme, the Nikkei business daily said, following the United States and European Union's leads in pressuring Tehran. The unilateral measures, which go beyond sanctions imposed by the United Nations, include banning new investments in energy-related industries and imposing a...

Sep 01

Top Stories

AFP: "Hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed on Wednesday the holding of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, saying the negotiations will fail to resolve conflict in the Middle East. 'Tens of negotiations have been held in more than 30 years and tens of plans have been proposed, but they have all failed,' Ahmadinejad told Iran's Arabic-language...

Aug 31

Top Stories

AFP: "Iran will need another two weeks to complete the process of loading fuel into its Russian-built first nuclear power plant, atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi has said. The process of loading 163 fuel rods, also supplied by Russia, into the nuclear power plant located in the southern port city of Bushehr began on August 21 and was to be completed by September 5. Thereafter the rods...

Aug 30

Top Stories

NYT: "Iran has transferred assets out of European banks in its latest effort to defend itself against the effects of sanctions that are part of what Iranian officials have called an 'economic war' against the country by the United States and other Western countries. Iran's 'Central Bank had previously specified a list of its banking reserves in Europe and has transferred them,' the...

Aug 27

Top Stories

AP:
"The new U.S. ambassador to Iraq said on Thursday he believed groups backed by Iran were responsible for a quarter of U.S. casualties in the Iraq war but that Tehran was not as influential in Iraq as thought. More than 4,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, battling Shi'ite militia the U.S. military has long said were armed, funded and trained by Iran,...

Aug 26

Top Stories

AFP:
"Iran has made a proposal to Moscow to jointly produce nuclear fuel for its Russian-built Bushehr plant and future facilities, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation was quoted as saying Thursday. 'We have made a proposal to Russia for the creation of a consortium, licensed by that country, to do part of the work in Russia and part of it in Iran,' state news agency IRNA quoted...

Aug 25

Top Stories

WSJ:
"LyondellBasell Industries NV, one of the world's biggest plastic and chemical producers, will end its business operations in Iran to shield itself against penalties the U.S. could soon impose on companies for violating trade sanctions. The Dutch-based company's board approved the decision early this month after months of deliberation, according to David Harpole, a LyondellBasell...

Aug 24

Top Stories

AFP:
"Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestinians will fail as long as the 'root' of the problem remained, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday. 'We don't think (peace) talks are going to yield any results,' Mehmanparast told reporters at his weekly press conference. 'The root of the Palestinian problem should be cured. We cannot see a solution to the...

Aug 23

Top Stories

NYT:
"Thirty-six years after construction began under the shah, Iran finally opened its first nuclear power plant at a ceremony on Saturday. Attended by senior officials from Iran and Russia, which helped build the plant, the ceremony marked the beginning of the transfer of low-enriched uranium fuel rods from a storage site into the plant. Officials of both countries said that Saturday's...

Aug 20

Top Stories

NYT:
"The Obama administration, citing evidence of continued troubles inside Iran's nuclear program, has persuaded Israel that it would take roughly a year - and perhaps longer - for Iran to complete what one senior official called a 'dash' for a nuclear weapon, according to American officials. Administration officials said they believe the assessment has dimmed the prospect that Israel...