Iran Focus

UPI: The most recent terrorist attack on June 15, which left two dead and more than 70 people wounded, proved once more that the most urgent question now is the security and safety of the 3,100 people of the Iranian opposition People's Mujahedin of Iran trapped in Camp Liberty.

Reuters: Hamas said on Wednesday its relations with financial backer Iran have suffered as a result of the Islamist group's support of rebels battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-time Iranian ally.

AFP: Britain's Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed government sanctions that had been imposed on Bank Mellat, Iran's largest private bank, due to its alleged links to Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.

Reuters: Calls by Sunni Muslim clerics for a holy war against the Syrian government and its Shi'ite allies are fuelling radicalism in the region, a senior Iranian official said on Wednesday.

Reuters: Among the Iranian pilgrims, foreign executives and tourists in the departure lounge at Baghdad airport, a group of young Iraqis prepare to wage religious war in Syria - not for the rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad but against them.

Wall Street Journal: Iran is taking advantage of the confusion surrounding Yemen's transition of government to gain a new foothold in the country, Yemeni and Western officials say, as Tehran seeks military allies operating near one of the world's most strategic waterways for oil shipments.

Reuters: Years before he became Iran's president-elect, Hassan Rohani spoke approvingly about concealing his nation's nuclear program and said that when Pakistan got atomic bombs and Brazil began enriching uranium, "the world started to work with them."

Wall Street Journal: For those who have hoped that the Syrian quagmire might swallow up Iran's influence in the region, it's time to wake up: Tehran and its ally Hezbollah are set to emerge from the Syrian conflict more aggressive than ever.

AFP: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned world powers on Tuesday against holding "drawn out" negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme following the election of a more moderate president in Tehran.

Reuters: Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief, Prince Muqrin, once told American diplomats the Middle East's so-called Shi'ite Crescent where the Muslim sect holds sway was "becoming a full moon" as Iranian influence spread.

AFP: Iran's ancient citadel of Bam, almost completely destroyed by a major earthquake in 2003, has been removed from the UNESCO list of "World Heritage in Danger", a spokesman said.

Bloomberg: Syria’s central bank said a $1 billion credit line from Iran will help to prop up the pound, which weakened after the U.S. decided last week to arm rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

AFP: US President Barack Obama said that Iran's election result showed the country's people wanted to back away from confrontation with the outside world but ruled out for the moment lifting economic sanctions on Tehran.

AFP: Iran's newly-elected president Hassan Rowhani ruled out on Monday any halt to the nuclear activity that has drawn UN sanctions but said he hoped an early deal could be reached to allay the concerns of major powers.

Reuters: Iran is making "steady progress" in expanding its nuclear program and international sanctions do not seem to be slowing it down, the U.N. nuclear agency chief told Reuters on Monday.

AFP: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton pledged on Monday during a trip to Baghdad to press Iran for greater cooperation over its nuclear programme after Tehran elected a new president.

AFP: Outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was on Monday summonsed to appear before the criminal court following a complaint lodged by parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, the government website announced.

Fox News: Iran reportedly is preparing to send 4,000 Revolutionary Guard soldiers to Syria to defend President Bashar Assad's regime, as the United States intends to supply rebels with small arms through a CIA-run program.

CNN: Iranians poured into the streets Saturday to celebrate the victory of presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani. Huge crowds snarled traffic in the capital, Tehran, demanding the release of hundreds of political prisoners arrested during protests over sham elections four years ago.

AFP: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated Hassan Rowhani on his victory in Iran's presidential election and urged him to forge closer ties with Moscow.

AP: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the international community on Sunday against easing sanctions on Iran following the election of a reformist-backed president, as the country's nuclear efforts remain firmly in the hands of Iran's extremist ruling clerics.

Iran Focus: Hundreds of Tehranis, mostly young people, staged a march from the capital’s Yousef-abad district to Vanak square, in north Tehran around midnight. They were chanting, "free all political prisoners",“Neda Agha Soltan, the lady of Iran, your path is continuing,” and “don’t be afraid, we are all together”.

AFP: The United States said Saturday it is prepared to engage Iran directly over its disputed nuclear program after moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani was declared the country's new president.

AFP: Britain on Saturday called on Hassan Rowhani to take Iran on a "different course" following his victory in the country's presidential election.