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Top Stories
Reuters:
"The U.S. State Department on Sunday condemned an Iranian court for
sentencing an Iranian-American Christian pastor to eight years in
prison.The State Department said it had confirmed reports of Saeed
Abedini's sentencing with the family's attorney and called for his
release. 'We condemn Iran's continued violation of the universal right of
freedom of religion and we call on the Iranian authorities to respect Mr.
Abedini's human rights and release him,' State Department spokesperson
Darby Holladay said. Hollaway said Abedini's attorney had only one day to
present his defense and the department was deeply concerned about the
fairness and transparency of his trial. The American Center for Law and
Justice, a conservative lobbying group, said Abedini was convicted by
Judge Pir-Abassi of Branch 26 of the Iranian Revolutionary Court for
threatening Iran's national security through his leadership in Christian
house churches. It said Abedini, a 32-year-old father of two, became a
U.S. citizen in 2010 through marriage to his American wife Naghmeh."
http://t.uani.com/VhOxap
The Times of
London: "A massive explosion is believed to have
damaged Iran's Fordow nuclear facility, which is being used to enrich
uranium, Israeli intelligence officials say. Sources in Tel Aviv said
yesterday they thought the explosion happened last week. The Israeli
government is investigating reports that it led to extensive structural
damage and that 200 workers had been trapped inside. Israel believes the
Iranians have not evacuated the surrounding area. It is unclear whether
that is because no harmful substances have been released, or because
Tehran is trying to avoid sparking panic among residents. The Fordow
plant is buried deep underground inside a mountain near the holy city of
Qom. It is thought to be Iran's most heavily fortified facility and is
regarded as impervious to Israeli airstrikes. Many of Fordow's 2700
nuclear centrifuges are stored deep below ground in bunkers. One Israeli
official said: 'We are still in the preliminary stages of understanding
what happened and how significant it is.' He did not know, he added,
whether the explosion was 'sabotage or accident', and refused to comment
on reports Israeli aircraft were seen near the facility at the time of
the explosion." http://t.uani.com/XM8N4o
Reuters:
"The next talks between six global powers and Iran on its nuclear
program are likely to be delayed until February, a diplomat said on
Friday, after European officials accused Tehran of stalling on fixing a
time and place for a meeting... 'It seems more likely now that the next
round will take place in February,' a European diplomat, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said. 'There is still no agreement on the next
round, but contacts are ongoing.' The diplomat voiced disappointment that
there was still no agreement on a meeting. 'We showed flexibility when it
came to date and venue. We want to present our refreshed offer (to Iran)
but didn't get the opportunity to do so,' the diplomat said." http://t.uani.com/X6w8Pf
Nuclear Program
NYT:
"Israel's departing defense minister, Ehud Barak, said that the
Pentagon had prepared sophisticated blueprints for a surgical operation
to set back Iran's nuclear program should the United States decide to
attack - a statement that was a possible indication that Israel might
have shelved any plans for a unilateral strike, at least for now. In an
interview conducted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,
and published by The Daily Beast on Friday, Mr. Barak was asked if there
was any way Israel could go to war with Iran over what many in the West
believe is a nuclear weapons program without dragging in the United
States. Mr. Barak replied that there were more than just the two options
- of full-scale war or allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons capability
- in the event that sanctions and diplomacy failed. 'What we basically
say is that if worse comes to worst, there should be a readiness and an
ability to launch a surgical operation that will delay them by a
significant time frame and probably convince them that it won't work
because the world is determined to block them,' he said. Under orders
from the White House, 'the Pentagon prepared quite sophisticated, fine,
extremely fine, scalpels,' Mr. Barak added, referring to the ability to
carry out pinpoint strikes." http://t.uani.com/VhO20a
Bloomberg:
"Iran would be able to quadruple the enrichment of 20 percent
uranium at its Fordo facility by using all the centrifuges installed
there, a European diplomat said. No date is set for the resumption of
nuclear talks between Iran and world powers, though February is looking
more likely, the diplomat told reporters today in Brussels on the
condition of anonymity. Contacts with Iran on a return to the negotiating
table continue, the diplomat said. 'We are currently in contact with them
and we want to see Iran come back to the negotiating table as soon as
possible so we can make concrete progress toward addressing the concerns
of the international community regarding their nuclear program,' Maja
Kocijancic, an EU foreign policy spokeswoman, said at a separate Brussels
briefing today. 'We have proposed concrete dates to the Iranian side and
we've seen Iran come back with different modalities all the time.'" http://t.uani.com/VfGNI1
AP:
"Iran said Monday it has successfully sent a monkey into space,
describing the launch as another step toward Tehran's goal of a manned
space flight. According to a brief report on state TV, the rocket dubbed
Pishgam, or Pioneer in Farsi, reached a height of 72 miles. The report
gave no other details on the timing or location of the launch, but said
the monkey returned to earth safely. Iran has long said it seeks to send
an astronaut into space as part of its ambitious aerospace program,
including plans for a new space center announced last year. In 2010, Iran
said it launched an Explorer rocket into space carrying a mouse, turtle
and worms. The U.S. and its allies worry that technology from the space
program could also be used to develop long-range missiles that could
potentially be armed with nuclear warheads." http://t.uani.com/VKvqYm
Sanctions
AP:
"Iran's oil ministry spokesman says all crude oil and gas exports
have been banned to the 27-nation European Union, which has already
imposed its own boycott on Iranian energy imports as part of sanctions
over Tehran's nuclear program. It is unclear what practical effect the
Iranian decision would have. But Sunday's announcement by spokesman Ali
Reza Nikzad Rahbar could be a symbolic act designed to reflect anger at
Western unity over economic pressures on Iran. The semiofficial Mehr news
agency quotes Rahbar as saying the Iranian ban will remain as long as
'hostile decisions' are made by the EU. Before the EU bans last year, the
bloc represented about 18 percent of Iran's oil sales." http://t.uani.com/14oBBp0
AP:
"Dubai's government-run oil company says it has started importing
supplies from Qatar and is seeking other sources in apparent moves to
replace Iranian crude lost because of international sanctions. Sunday's
statement from the Emirates National Oil Co. said it could seek to expand
imports from the Middle East and Asia to help meet rising demand in the
city-state, which has little of its own oil unlike neighboring Abu Dhabi.
The statement did not mention Iran, but Dubai was a major buyer of
Iranian condensate - light oil ready for refineries - and faced U.S.
pressure to stop the flow." http://t.uani.com/WHEKMm
Reuters:
"An Iranian-flagged cargo ship that fled Sri Lankan waters after
weeks of detention by the island nation's navy has arrived back in Iran,
according to ship-tracking data published by Reuters. The Sri Lankan navy
fired warning shots in early January to prevent the MV Amina from leaving
its waters, acting on a court order obtained by Germany's DVB Bank in pursuit
of debts it said were unpaid. Days later however the vessel sailed away
from the island in rough seas, the navy said. The Amina, formerly called
Shere, is managed by Tehran-based Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management,
which the European Union and United States have said is a front for
Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), Iran's biggest cargo
carrier... Amina is one of four Iranian bulk ships DVB has been trying to
seize. An Iranian-owned dry bulk ship called Uppercourt has been held in
the northern Chinese cargo port of Qinhuangdao since November. Two other
vessels that DVB Bank has previously tried to seize, the Tongham and
Artin, are also anchored off Bandar Abbas, a key Iranian port near the
Strait of Hormuz." http://t.uani.com/UwgWwg
AP:
"About 1,000 Iranian workers have staged a protest rally in front of
the South Korean Embassy in Tehran demanding the return of $70 million
allegedly held by Seoul after a collapsed business deal. Employees of
Iran's Entekhab Industrial Group claim South Korea has blocked a refund
of the money after a failed bid in 2010 to buy Daewoo Electronics, a
former subsidiary of the now-defunct Daewoo Group. Iranians believe the
deal was called off because of South Korean worries over mounting
international sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program." http://t.uani.com/Yyv0sC
Toronto Star:
"Isfahan is famed for its artisans, and the 400-year-old bazaar,
built at a time when the city served as dynastic capital and a prominent
layover point on the Silk Road, is central to showcasing to that
identity. As it happens, pride in history may underscore the regret in
Arzani's voice when he describes what has happened to his place of work.
'Sanctions,' he says, referring to the recent U.S. and western-backed
clampdown on financial dealings with Iran, '(have) destroyed (the) bazaar
in Isfahan.' Arzani is not alone in this assessment. Although the
purported target of the West's sanctions is the Iranian government -
accused of pursuing a nuclear weapons program - the nature of the embargo
restricts not only oil exports, a source of state revenue, but also
electronic money transfers into or out of Iran. It's a move that disrupts
trade and creates a climate of economic uncertainty - even Iranians with
means are afraid to spend on anything but essentials." http://t.uani.com/VKxr6Z
WashPost:
"In the past year, increasingly tough sanctions have devastated
Iran's oil industry and contributed to rampant inflation and unemployment
there, all part of a plan to pressure Iran to curtail its nuclear
ambitions. But the international sanctions have had another, unintended,
consequence. They have caused the Iranian currency to nose-dive, and for
Iranian students abroad who rely on savings or family support from back
home, the collapse has doubled or tripled the cost of their foreign
education. It is not that they have less money, but that their money has
lost its value overseas." http://t.uani.com/SZC7Y3
Human Rights
France24:
"One of Iran's official press agencies published photos showing the
public amputation of a thief's fingers on Wednesday. These show a man
getting his finger chopped off with a machine resembling a rotary saw. We
contacted many of our Observers in Iran to ask them about this machine.
Some of them had heard about it before, but many discovered its existence
through these morbid photographs, which were reportedly taken on
Thursday. According to the INSA press agency, the man shown getting his
finger cut off was charged with robbery and adultery by a court in the
southwestern city of Shiraz. He was also accused of being at the head of
a criminal organisation. On top of losing one of his fingers, he was
sentenced to three years in prison and 99 whip lashes." http://t.uani.com/113AQTz
Guardian:
"Security officials in Iran have raided at least four newspapers and
arrested several journalists in what appears to be concerted action aimed
at intimidating the media in advance of the presidential elections in
June. Sources in Tehran said reformist newspapers Etemaad, Shargh, Bahar
and Arman were targeted by a group of plain-clothes officials who
ransacked offices, filmed staff, confiscated documents and held several
journalists. When the Guardian phoned journalists at Etemaad and Bahar in
the evening, officials were still present in the offices and editors of
the two newspapers could not be reached. Etemaad's editor-in-chief, Javad
Daliri, was reported to be among at least 10 journalists who have been
arrested. The semi-official Mehr news agency confirmed that a number of
journalists have been arrested and said that officials were holding
arrest warrants issued by judicial authorities." http://t.uani.com/SY43LV
AP:
"Authorities in Iran have arrested 11 journalists accused of
cooperation with foreign-based, Persian-language media organizations. The
development is a major escalation in a press crackdown that shows Iran's
zero tolerance for those who work with dissident media or outlets deemed
as unfriendly. The chief editors of the arrested journalists told The
Associated Press on Monday that the 11 were taken into custody late on
Sunday because of their 'foreign contacts.' They are from six different
news organizations, including four daily papers, a weekly and the
semi-official ILNA news agency." http://t.uani.com/XFriXo
Domestic Politics
BBC:
"In six months' time Iranians will go to the polls to elect a new
president... Intriguingly, many of the potential contenders so far have
one thing in common - they have been involved in the international
negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme. Hassan Rohani, who was the
country's chief nuclear negotiator from 2003 to 2005, is the latest
politician to tacitly acknowledge that he is intending to stand... Ali
Larijani, the current speaker of parliament, is another possible
candidate with a nuclear past. In 2005, he succeeded Mr Rohani as Iran's
nuclear negotiator, but his moderate and pragmatic stand also put him at
odds with the president and he resigned after two years... So why is
there such a buzz around these 'nuclear candidates'? Clearly one issue is
their relationship with the man who has the final say on Iran's nuclear
policy, Ayatollah Khamenei. Observers say that being a member of the
nuclear policy-makers' club is seen as a badge of honour in Iranian
politics because the supreme leader only lets the most trusted people
into this inner circle. For all of the names currently in the running,
involvement in the nuclear talks has resulted in a high-speed train ride
to the very top of Iranian politics." http://t.uani.com/VrDK2Y
Reuters:
"Two leading Iranian opposition figures held under house arrest for
almost two years have been denied contact with their children, their
daughters said in a statement published on Saturday. Mirhossein Mousavi
stood in presidential elections in 2009 and became one of the figureheads
of the huge street protests over allegations of vote rigging that
followed. He was detained with his wife Zahra Rahnavardstood in February
2011. The Islamic Republic is gearing up for another presidential vote in
June and hardline clerical figures have accused opposition forces of
plotting a second 'sedition' - referring to the last protests that were
crushed by security forces. Authorities have denied Mousavi and Rahnavard
contact with their children for weeks, their three daughters wrote in a
statement published on Saturday by Kalame, a website close to
Mousavi." http://t.uani.com/10Ye5M7
Syrian Uprising
AP:
"Iran considers any attack against Syria an attack on itself, an
advisor to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader was quoted as saying
Saturday, the strongest warning to date by a top Iranian official that
Tehran will use any available means to keep the regime of President
Bashar Assad in power. Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, said Syria plays a major role in the 'resistance front' of
anti-Israel states and militant groups. 'Syria plays a very key role in
supporting, or God forbid destabilizing, the resistance front. For this
same reason, attack on Syria is considered attack on Iran and Iran's
allies,' Velayati was quoted by the semiofficial Mehr news agency as
saying." http://t.uani.com/VfHXDm
AFP:
"The US ambassador to Syria on Friday criticised Iran's 'unhelpful'
role in the Syrian conflict and appealed for more from Russia to help the
refugees fleeing their war-torn homeland. 'Iran is playing a very
unhelpful role in terms of moving Syria toward a political transition
that its people demand,' Robert Ford told reporters in Ankara, a day
after meeting Syrian refugees in a Turkish border town. Ford, who was
abruptly recalled from Damascus in October 2011 because of security
threats, accused Iran of sending arms to President Bashar al-Assad's
regime. 'They are sending arms, they are sending other kinds of experts,
and in fact we know that they are sending Iran Revolutionary Guard'
members, he said. 'We are not talking directly to the Iranians ... but we
need to understand what the Iranian role is,' he added." http://t.uani.com/10Yaiyl
Terrorism
NYT:
"Argentina announced Sunday that it had reached an agreement with
Iran to establish a joint commission to investigate the 1994 bombing of a
Jewish community center here. Nearly 19 years ago, a suicide bomber drove
a van full of explosives into the Argentina Israelite Mutual Association
headquarters, killing 85 people and wounding about 300. Like a previous
attack two years earlier that leveled Israel's embassy in Buenos Aires,
killing 29, it has never been solved. The initial investigation into the
community center bombing was thrown out in 2005 on accusations of
corruption and incompetence by Argentine authorities, some of whom would
later be charged for misconduct. A special prosecutor, Alberto Nisman,
has since taken over the investigation and accused Hezbollah, the
Lebanese group with strong ties to Iran and Syria, of carrying out the
bombing and senior Iranian officials of planning and financing it... Each
country has reasons to reach out. Iran is a consumer of Argentina's
agricultural commodities, an especially important tie as Argentina's
economy slows. Iran's trade with Argentina has grown by 200 percent in
the last few years, to more than $1.2 billion. For its part, Iran is
eager to counter its diplomatic isolation, expanding on the ties it has
forged in Latin American nations like Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Jewish groups, however, were wary of the negotiations. 'Argentina is
legitimizing Iran's style of governance and getting nothing in return,'
said Guillermo Borger, the president of the Argentine Mutual Aid
Association." http://t.uani.com/10YdD0i
Foreign Affairs
Fox News:
"Hardline clerics in Iran who deny the Holocaust had their chance
Friday night to tune in and confront their ignorance of history. On
Friday, an opposition Iranian satellite channel based in London aired
'Genocide,' an Academy Award-winning 1980 documentary on the Holocaust
produced by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The sobering film, aired with
subtitles in Farsi, was shown in order to combat the Iranian regime's
frequent denial of one of history's most tragic events. The Wiesenthal
Center, a global Jewish human rights organization which also is home to
the Museum of Tolerance, Holocaust museums in Los Angeles, Jerusalem and
New York, coordinated the showing to coincide with International
Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. 'Genocide,' or 'Nasl Keshi,' in
Farsi, has been aired around the world, but Friday's viewing was the
first time Iranians have been able to see the film. The film aired on
Iran's NTV Simay Azadi, on satellite and streaming online." http://t.uani.com/WjwhjV
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Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
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