Saturday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 5.27.2006:

34 nations in military drills near Iran.

• Foxnews.com reported that 34 nations kicked off a large military exercise in Turkey to practice intercepting weapons before they reach a country like Iran.

More on the Unrest in Iran.

• MEMRI reported that several media outlets in Iran reported, albeit in a restricted and censured fashion, that there has been rioting on several university campuses in Tehran for the past four days. Eyewitnesses reported that students were chanting anti-regime slogans, such as "We don't want nuclear energy" and "Forget Palestine - think of us."
• Iran Focus reported that at least six anti-government protestors were killed by security forces during clashes in the north-western town of Naqadeh as more than 1,000 Iranian Azeris took part in a rally outside the governor’s office.

Rafsanjani warns the west.

• Yahoo News reported that Iranian cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said: "We still expect the world power seekers to have sense and not to create chaos and unrest in our region."

Blair: we will not be secure unless Iran changes.

• 10 Downing Street released the text of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Speech at Georgetown University in which he said: "I don't believe we will be secure unless Iran changes."

Iran seeks to form a new "Axis" against the US.

• World Tribune.com reported that Iran aims to form an axis of powerful nations against the United States. Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi said the alliance would include nuclear powers. "China, Russia, India and Iran are capable of establishing a pole of major powers in Asia, opposing the policies of America."

Russia's deal with Iran for its missile defense system still on.

• BBC News reported that Russia's defence minister has confirmed that Moscow intends to honour a controversial deal to supply Iran with 30 surface-to-air missile systems.

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

• Kenneth R. Timmerman, News Max reported how dozens of self-avowed supporters of the MEK, a group on the State Department's list of international terrorist organizations, met Thursday in a public building in Washington, D.C., to call on the Bush administration to legalize the activities of their group.
• MEMRI published Iraqi News Agency Aswathura's Exclusive interview with Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. A valuable read.
• FoxNews reported that an Iranian-owned company, based in Turkey, has illegally shipped alleged guided missile parts as well as "dual use" nuclear-related material to Iran.
• ABC News reported on Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, trip to Baghdad on Friday.
• Charles Krauthammer, New York Daily News argued why direct talks between the US and Iran would be a huge mistake.