UANI

The LA Times reported that "World powers this week failed to come up with a unified strategy to press Iran on halting controversial elements of its nuclear program, as a report emerged suggesting the country had made progress in advancing a little-examined feature of its atomic infrastructure." Read More

Iranian press reported that "Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Mohammad Ali Hosseini on Sunday ruled out the possibility that Iran and the United States will resume diplomatic ties."  Read More

ABC News reported that the Iran government  is hosting a conference to "assess just what President-elect Obama means to that Persian country." Read More

Iranian press quoted Iran's top military commander saying that an attack against Iran would lead to "bitter and dangerous consequences." "Any effort to jeopardize Iran will be a bitter pill for an aggressor to swallow, says Iran's top military commander Yahya Rahim-Safavi. 'After the failure in its 33-day-war on Lebanon the Israeli regime realized that any effort or movement against the Islamic Republic would have bitter and dangerous consequences,' said the senior military advisor to Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei." Read More

AP reported that "Iran called on OPEC Saturday to cut production by a further 1 million to 1.5 million barrels per day when it meets in Cairo later this month." Read More

Indian press reported that "Iran says it has scrapped a $22 billion deal to sell 5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to India due to a dispute over prices and lack of required approvals." Read More

Reuters reported that "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called on Sunday for a stronger international campaign against Iran's nuclear programme to 'thwart it with greater force.'" Read More

AP reported that "Iranian newspapers are quoting a top adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying the country has converted some of its foreign currency reserves into gold." Read More

Bloomberg reported that President-elect Obama has named Iranian-born Valerie Jarrett as a senior White House adviser. "Jarrett, who is black, was born in Shiraz, Iran, and spent part of her childhood in London with her parents before moving to Chicago, where she grew up on the South Side." Read More

Reuters reported that Ahmadinejad aide Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, who is in charge of a culture and tourism body, is "under fire" for hosting a ceremony where women allegedly danced to music while carrying the Koran. Read More

The Houston Chronicle profiled Rice University President David Leebron and University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center President Dr. John Mendelsohn, who are going to Iran for outreach. "Leebron flew out of Houston Friday for a four-day stay in Iran, where he will visit Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, the country's top engineering school. The initiative is sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering. Dr. Mendelsohn's itinerary will focus on medical facilities, particularly those engaged in cancer research. He is hopeful that the continuing exchanges between U.S. and Iranian professionals will create an environment for better relations between governments." Read More