Thursday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 1.26.2005:

A flurry of activity before next week's IAEA showdown.

• The New York Times reported that the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet in London on Monday in an effort to resolve their differences on how best to punish Iran for its nuclear activities.
• The Financial Times reported that Robert Zoellick, the US Deputy Secretary of State said China has emphasized its support for international efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear program.
• Iran Focus reported that Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator is due to travel to Beijing on Thursday.
• Yahoo News reported that a landmark nuclear deal between India and the United States will "die" in Washington if New Delhi supports Iran.

Sanctions: what may happen?

• Kenneth R. Timmerman, Iran.org is launching an appeal to identify and freeze Iranian government assets around the world.
• International Herald Tribune considered the question: If sanctions are the answer, what economic levers could they safely use? Gasoline imports.
• Ali Nourizadeh, Asharq Al-Awsat reminded us that Iran imports most of its gasoline and has only a 45 day supply.
• Iran Mania reported EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said he doubted that Iran would cut oil exports in response to threatened sanctions.

More calls for Regime Change in Iran.

• The New York Sun in a Staff Editorial called for a regime change in Iran.
• Jeff Jacoby, The Boston Globe argued that the best solution for the Iranian crisis would be a regime change in Iran.

Iranian military being purged?

• Ali Nourizadeh, Asharq Al-Awsat examined Iran's military options and noted that Iranian General Kazemi had recently opposed a military confrontation with the US just prior to his sudden death.
  

A major strike in Iran scheduled.

• SMCCDI reported that Tehran's Collective Bus drivers issued another notice of strike scheduled for Saturday.

More heated exchanges between Iran and Israel.

• The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran threatened, if were Israel to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, they would respond so strongly that it would put the Jewish state into "an eternal coma."
• Ynet News reported that Israel's Ambassador to the U.N. Dan Gillerman said it is the U.N. Security Council's duty to prevent "another Holocaust."
• The Economist reminded us of the irony that while the Iranian president calls Israel alien to the Middle East, since several of Israel's key leaders have Iranian origins.

One of "America's most wanted" travels with Ahmadinejad?

• Megan Clyne, The New York Sun reported that one of the American government's most wanted terrorists, Imad Mugniyah, visited Syria late last week with Iran's President Ahmadinejad.
  

Business Developments.

• The Chicago Tribune reported that insurance brokerage firm, Aon Corp., will stop doing business in Iran.
• Reuters reported that German exports to Iran will fall sharply this year as a sweeping purge of officials at Iranian ministries and state companies is causing contracts with German firms to dry up.
• The Financial Times reported that Iran's central bank vice-governor, said on Tuesday Tehran had withdrawn foreign reserves from Italian banks but not elsewhere in Europe.
  

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

• News Max reported that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is as big a threat to global security as Adolf Hitler.
• FrontPage Magazine published an exchange between Jalal Arani and Michael Rubin over the nature of the Iranian opposition group: the Mujahedin.
• Reuters reported that Iran accused Britain of cooperating with bombers who killed eight people in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Tuesday.
• And finally, The American Enterprise Institute held a panel discussion with the producer of a documentary on human rights violations in Iran: A Few Simple Shots. See the discussion and film here.