Friday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 12.30.2005:

Russian/Iran Talks? Yes or No?

• Reuters reported that top Iranian and Russian officials agreed on Thursday to hold talks on a Russian proposal aimed a resolving Tehran's nuclear standoff.
• Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Monsters and Critics reported that the Russian Defence Ministry denied having agreed to nuclear talks with Iran.
• International Herald Tribune reported that Iran said that it needed talks with Moscow to clarify what it described as "ambiguities" in a Russian proposal.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that a high-ranking Russian diplomat said that Russia has no interest in Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and does not want a radical, Islamic nuclear power on its doorstep.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Ken Timmerman, The Daily Star asked: Is Iran's Ahmadinejad a messianic medium?
• Roland Flamini, United Press International reported on Iran's dangerous gamble.
• SMCCDI reported that two young men qualified as "Enemy of God" were hanged in the central square of the southern City of Ahvaz.
• SMCCDI reported that a tentative [execution of] a political prisoner resulted, today, in a violent riot at the Oroomiah (former Rezai-e) prison.
• Mustafa al-Ani, Al-Hayat considered Iran's leaders having learned the lesson of the "Stupid Tree."
• Bill Gertz, The Washington Times reported that China's government yesterday demanded that the Bush administration lift sanctions imposed on six companies on charges of illicit sales to Iran.
• Cyrus Kadivar, Iran va Jahan criticized a recent article by Thomas L. Friedman entitled “A shah with a turban”.
• DEBKAfile reported on a recent meeting in Iran where Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinians agreed on launching a second front against Israel.
• Washington Times reported that EU officials are concerned that U.S. sanctions against companies selling Iran weapons are hobbling a unified effort to end a nuclear standoff.
• Bahram Rafiee, Rooz Online reported that the Iranian Ministry of Culture has not issued any licenses to publishers for the publication of any new books, and officials will review all licenses for current books.
• Hossein Bastani, Rooz Online argued that anyone surprised by the government ban on Saba TV is forgetting recent history, particularly leaders of the so-called "reformist movement."
• USA Today reported that the author of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" is preparing an international online book club.
• Aljazeera reported that General Dan Halutz, Israel's chief of staff, has ruled out the prospect of a pre-emptive strike against Iran.
• And finally, Fars published some photos of Iran's Parliament hard at work.