UANI

The New York Times reported that "International nuclear inspectors are investigating whether a Russian scientist helped Iran conduct complex experiments on how to detonate a nuclear weapon, according to European and American officials. As part of the investigation, inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency are seeking information from the scientist, who they believe acted on his own as an adviser on experiments described in a lengthy document obtained by the agency, the officials said.... it is the first time that the nuclear agency has suggested that Iran may have received help from a foreign weapons scientist in developing nuclear arms." Read More

Reuters reported that the U.S. military leaders in Iraq fear "a wave of assassinations ahead of provincial elections, some carried out by militant cells trained in Iran." "The Quds force is an arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which Washington says trains Islamist militants in Iraq and other countries. Iran denies it trains Iraqi militants and says it is only interested in friendly ties with its neighbor. Oates said leaders of renegade cells had mainly fled to Iran, but some had returned and were seeking to recruit disaffected former followers of Sadr." Read More

Reuters covered Iranian reports that "Iran's annual inflation rate jumped 1.8 percentage points in September to 29.4 percent." Read More

AP reported that "The Bush administration has shelved plans to set up a diplomatic outpost in Iran, in part over fears it could affect the U.S. presidential race or be interpreted as political meddling." Read More

The Wall Street Journal wrote that "Iran looks set to squeeze the region's highest wholesale gas prices from the United Arab Emirates as part of a 25-year, $2 billion natural-gas export deal between the two countries." "Iran's new pricing power comes as its regime tries to kick-start stalled gas-development plans. It also comes amid a growing energy gap in the booming economies of the Arab petro-states. A shortage of clean-burning natural gas to fuel economic expansion in the U.A.E. has the country scrambling for new sources." Read More

Iranian press reported that "President Mahmud Ahmadinejad announced on Wednesday that the implementation of the economic reform plan would begin soon." "In the plan, subsidies will be paid directly to citizens. 'With the presentation of the bill on the economic reform plan to the Majlis and with its ratification by the representatives, we hope we will witness a very quick implementation' of the plan to pay cash subsidies, the president told well-wishers in Bojnurd, North Khorasan Province." Read More

Iranian press highlighted reports saying "Turkey reiterates its commitment on gas deals with Iran." "Turkey’s Energy Minister said on Wednesday that Turkey was going to push ahead with its deal with Iran to produce and export gas from Iran, saying cancellation of the deal was 'out of the question,' Reuters reported. Earlier Reuters news agency said that Turkey was canceling a proposed deal to produce and export gas from Iran, saying the deal was 'out of the question.' Later the agency issued a correction on its story. 'It is of the question that the natural gas deal with Iran will be suspended. I will go to Tehran to sign when the text of the deal is ready,' Guler also told." Read More

Bloomberg reported that Iran "offered to cooperate with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to jointly develop the disputed Arash gas field, which spreads over the three Persian Gulf nations." Read More

Jersusalem Post cited an Italian report of Hezbollah naming a new chief commander. "Eight months after he was assassinated in a meticulously-planned car bombing in Damascus, Hizbullah arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh has been succeeded by a senior Iranian intelligence official, an Italian newspaper reported Thursday, indicating an Iranian determination to consolidate its control over the Lebanese group. According to the report in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Hizbullah's new chief military commander is Muhammad Riza Zahdi, aka Hassan Mahdawi, who in the late 1980s served in the Iranian Embassy in Beirut." Read More