UANI

The New York Times reported on comments by UN nuclear chief, Dr. Mohamed El-Baradei where he "criticized Iran for impeding the agency's attempts to verify whether it was developing nuclear weapons." Read More

AFP reported that "Local banks in the United Arab Emirates have stepped up pressure on Iranian firms by freezing their assets and refusing to deal with merchants doing business with Iran.” "Most local Emirati banks have stopped serving Iranian businessmen whose merchandise was headed for or dispatched from Iran, Hamid Hosseini, a member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, told Sarmayeh newspaper." Read More

Reuters reported that "Iran's U.N. ambassador said on Monday that six world powers have never responded to Tehran's proposal for negotiations without pre-conditions aimed at resolving its nuclear stand-off with the West." "'The 5+1 Group has yet to provide its response to Iran's proposed package,' Mohammad Khazaee said, referring to a proposal for talks delivered in May to the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany." Read More

AP covered Iranian reports that "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has assigned five officials to probe the impact of the global financial crisis on the country." "The report on Monday says Ahmadinejad ordered finance minister, Shamseddin Hosseini, to lead the team which will study the effects of the crisis on Iranian economy and ways 'of securing national assets.' The team will include foreign and commerce ministers, head of the central bank and vice president in charge of planning. It is to report findings after one month." Read More

Iranian press reported that the country's military "is set to expand its defensive fronts in the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean." Read More

The Washington Post reported on continuing questions over Iranian President Ahmadinejad's health and potential political ramifications. "Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency on Saturday described the president as being exhausted, and several politicians allied to Ahmadinejad's faction have said he was overworked. Opponents, however, say the illness is a political stunt meant to showcase his image as a servant of the people....With presidential elections slated for June 12, Ahmadinejad faces several issues that endanger his chances of reelection, including an annual inflation rate of nearly 30 percent and sliding oil revenue. Critics say he has failed in his promise to transfer the country's oil wealth directly to the people. But his image as a hard worker remains intact." Read More

The New York Times reviewed former C.I.A. case officer Robert Baer's new book. "He calls Iran 'the only stable, enduring state in the gulf' and 'a rational actor with fixed reasonable demands.' The only real option, he adds, is to sit down together at the negotiating table, treat Iran as the power it has become and see what it has to offer. The United States should also guarantee Iranian international security, conduct joint patrols in the Persian Gulf, establish direct military-to-military communications there, ease sanctions so that Iran will not lust after Saudi oil and give Iran a defined security role in Iraq and Afghanistan, he writes." Read More

VOA covered a U.S. State Department announcement which argued that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons would be in Russia's interest. "The State Department says Russia would only be harming its own interests if it follows through with a threat to curtail cooperation with other major powers on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." Read More

Washington Post analyzed that "a deal to authorize the presence of American forces in Iraq beyond 2008 is forcing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to choose between two influential powers in this country: the United States and Iran." Read More