Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 3.13.2006:

How the world can deal with an Iranian oil embargo.

• The Financial Times reported that the US is looking at “creative” ways of addressing the energy worries of China, Japan and India. One option would be to tap the oil stockpiles of the 26 industrialized IAEA nations. Emergency stocks are enough to fill an 18-month hole if Iranian oil exports stopped.

The Russian deal with Iran is dead.

• BBC News reported that Iran says Moscow's compromise proposal on its nuclear program is "off the agenda."
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that a senior Russian lawmaker, Konstantin Kosachev, warned Tehran that its refusal to continue talks on the Russian offer could "radicalize" a planned discussion of the Iranian nuclear issue at the United Nations Security Council.

Iran threats to leave the NPT.

• Agence France-Presse reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned today, Iran could leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if its nuclear rights are not accounted for.

Iranian regime fears unrest, March 14th.

• SMCCDI reported that the Islamic regime has forbidden the sell of gasoline in containers in an effort to limit subversive activities, at the occasion of the banned "Tchahar-Shanbe Souri" (Fire Fiest) on March 14th. The regime hopes the ban will limit the fabrication of Molotov-Cocktails.

Details of private White House meetings on Iran.

• The Washington Post reported that President Bush and his team have been huddling in closed-door meetings on Iran, the debate is over, and although administration is does not use the term "regime change" in public, and that in effect is the goal. But in private meetings, Bush and his advisers have been more explicit.

Britain to support news broadcasts into Iran.

• Reuters reported that Britain will call for an expansion of global broadcasting in Iran and urge world organizations to boost the information flow to Iranians who may have little access to outside news.

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

• Reuters reported that the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad denied on Sunday seeking Iran's help to calm violence in Iraq.
• SMCCDI reported that violent clashes rocked, yesterday, the western City of Piranshahr following the murder of a resident, by Islamist Militiamen.
• The Washington Institute for Near East Policy published the full text of Lt. Gen. (ret.) Moshe Yaalon's address the Hudson Institute.
• And finally, SMCCDI called for emergency financial support of NITV a leading Iranian broadcaster into Iran. The site is off the air, due to lack of funds.