Iran News Roundup: July 3, 2012

US Increases Military Presence in the Persian Gulf In response to proposed legislation in the Iranian parliament to close the Strait of Hormuz, the United States has “quietly” moved additional fighter jets, minesweepers, stealth warplanes, and other military reinforcements into the region. Navy ships are in place patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly to ensure […]

Iran News Roundup: June 29, 2012

Shorter Range Missiles in the Persian Gulf In an apparent escalation in Iran’s  standoff with the West, a Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted as saying Iran expects to equip its ships in the Strait of Hormuz with shorter-range missiles (Reuters 6/29). Dubai’s ENOC Affected by State Department Clarification U.S. State Department officials have clarified that […]

Iran News Roundup 02/14

Injured Iranian held responsible for Thailand bombings  A man believed to be Iranian had both legs blown off after attempting to throw a bomb at Thai police in Bangkok.  Two other nearby explosions, which resulted in several people being injured, accompanied this attack.  These explosions occurred a day after bombing attacks against Israeli diplomatic staff […]

Iran News Roundup 01/23

European Union agrees to Iran oil embargo All 27-member states have agreed to impose a ban on Iranian oil. Full implementation begins on July 1.  In response, an Iranian member of Parliament urged Iran to immediately cut off sales to the EU, in order to disrupt EU oil supply before the planned July date. (Reuters 01/23) In […]

Iran News Roundup 01/19

U.S. proposes a direct line of communication with Iran  A  a conservative Iranian lawmaker, Ali Motahari, claims that the U.S. has sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader proposing direct talks. The Obama administration has denied the claim. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast claims that the proposal for direct talks was embedded in the U.S. […]

Iran News Roundup 01/17

U.S.-Israel missile defense drill cancelled as concerns grow over Israeli attack against Iran Senior military officials announced that the largest joint US-Israel missile defense drill has been postponed (Reuters 01/15).  Israel officially claimed this was due to budget cuts, but some U.S. and Israeli officials said the exercise was mutually postponed to not inflame tensions with […]

Iran’s Nuke Deal Irritates Washington

Washington Push for Iran Sanctions Complicated By Nuclear Fuel Deal A noticeable irritation can be sensed in Washington. After months of investing in a new UN Security Council resolution and an escalation of the conflict and apparently winning agreement among the permanent members of the council for such a measure two emerging powers had the […]