UANI

The Chicago Tribune published an editorial urging support to stifle Iran's gasoline supply. "Obama suggested a new way to apply pressure: Stop gasoline imports into Iran. Iran imports about 40 percent of its gasoline. Squeeze that supply and the mullahs would notice.... No diplomatic effort, no economic squeeze, has worked so far. Obama has suggested a new one. Let's hope all those world leaders who have rushed to embrace the president-elect will rush to embrace his idea to stop Iran's dangerous ambitions." Read More

Reuters reported on Iranian ballistic missile tests "displaying the Islamic state's advances in ballistics at a time when the West is worried about its nuclear ambitions.... Western experts say Iran rarely gives enough details for them to determine the extent of its technological advances, and much Iranian technology consists of modifications of equipment supplied by China, North Korea and others." Read More

Bloomberg reported that "Russian officials are in contact with the incoming Obama administration, urging it to normalize relations with Iran and reach an agreement over its disputed nuclear program. Russia is hoping that 'the new administration understands that there is no alternative to the political process and dialogue at all levels,' Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Moscow. Asked if Obama would have to normalize ties with Iran to reach a nuclear agreement, he replied: 'Yes, absolutely.'" Read More

Iranian press quoted Iran's official response to British foreign secretary David Miliband's recent speech about its nuclear activities. 'The Iranian embassy statement said the British government had no legal authorization to judge Tehran's nuclear program and advised London to change its policies toward the Islamic Republic. 'The UK government should change its failed policy of creating divisions among regional countries,' read the statement, adding that regional security would be best established in the absence of 'foreign intervention''" Read More

Reuters reported that Iran "urged the Lebanese people Tuesday to unite to confront Israel." "'Iran believes the capability of all Lebanese groups should be at the service of (Lebanon's) power and unity to confront the danger of the Zionist regime,' Khamenei told Suleiman, the official IRNA news agency reported." Read More

The Washington Post reported on relations between the US, Venezuala, and Iran. "[D]espite Chavez's conciliatory words, Obama faces the task of blunting the pretensions of a country intent on building alliances with American adversaries, including Iran and, critics say, Marxist guerrillas in neighboring Colombia. Obama also faces more immediate worries, including two wars, looming questions about Iran's nuclear ambitions and a resurgent Russia." Read More

The New York Times reported that "Iran has broken a spy ring working for Israeli's intelligence service, Mossad, and will seek the death penalty for three suspects in custody, Iran's prosecutor general announced Tuesday." "The prosecutor general, Saeed Mortazavi, said that the suspects, members of Basij, Iran's volunteer militia, were expected to get close to senior members of the Revolutionary Guards so they could 'assassinate military scientists and blow up strategic military and missile facilities.'" Read More

AP covered Iranian reports that one of the recently detained members of the Israeli-linked espionage network Iran broke up was involved with the Revolutionary Guards. "Iran said Monday it had uncovered three members of an alleged network who were trained by Israeli intelligence agents but claimed they were detained before they could relay any information to Israel." Read More

Iranian press reported that "Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez yesterday condemned as 'disrespectful' the response by the US president-elect, Barack Obama to a letter of congratulations by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad upon winning the Oval Office on 4 November." Read More

On NPR, Ted Koppel and former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski discussed President-elect Obama's potential approach to U.S. relations with Iran. Read More

Reuters covered the comments of a senior Iranian official who said sexually transmitted HIV infections are on the rise in Iran. "'In recent years the incidence of AIDS virus contraction through sexual contact has increased,' said Abbas Sedaghat, who heads the Health Ministry AIDS office. 'There are indications that the AIDS contraction model in Iran is changing from shared syringes toward sexual contacts,' he was quoted as saying by the Etemad newspaper." Read More

UPI reported that "A bipartisan group of German lawmakers has signed a petition seeking the removal of an Iranian opposition group from the European Union's terrorist register." Read More

Reuters reported that "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday Israel was free to take any action it deemed necessary against Iran's nuclear program, saying there were no U.S. restraints." "'I can't recall that anyone in the (U.S.) administration, including in the last couple of days, advised me or any of my official representatives not to take any action that we will deem necessary for the fundamental security of the state of Israel, and that includes Iran,' Olmert said." Read More

The Washington Times wrote that "Adjusting to the election of Barack Obama, some Israeli policymakers and analysts are now saying that talking to Iran might be a better way to prevent it from becoming a nuclear power than isolating it." Read More

Iranian press reported that "The founders of a US peace group, CODEPINK, arrived in Iran" in "what they called a 'citizen diplomacy trip' aimed at promoting peaceful ties between the United States and Iran." Read More