A Daily Briefing on Iran: Thursday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 5.11.2006:

China won't veto sanctions on Iran and Russia may not either?

Rooz Online reported that while the UNSC has not reached a consensus on the next step on Iran, they said the Chinese foreign minister said that it would not veto a UN Security Resolution, while his Russian counterpart told Iran’s foreign minister Manoutchehr Mottaki, “We have not promised to veto sanctions against Iran.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. and its allies will slow their push for U.N. Security Council action against Iran and develop a new list of incentives and punishments. They said it may be the only way to get Russia and China to agree to impose sanctions should Iran continue to defy the council.
CNN.com reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a veiled warning to the United States not to take any military action against Iran.
Rooz Online reported that Ali Larijani who is the responsible official for the nuclear talks and issue in Iran said the government sees the Russian proposal (to take up the responsibility of enriching uranium on behalf of Iran on their soil) as a possible solution to the problem. He also made it clear that even if that proposal went ahead, Iran would not stop its own enrichment activities.

Iran crisis could lead to the cancellation of the G8 meeting in Moscow?

Leon Aron, Yevgeny Bai, American Enterprise Institute in an interview said the G8 Summit could be canceled if the West forms a united front on Iran, while Russia refuses to cooperate. He added: Moscow is praying the conflict doesn't get out of control before the summit.

Iranian Press sees similarities with Ahmadinejad's letter to Mohammad's letters.

Mehran Riazaty cited Iranian press reports comparing Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush to the Prophet Mohammad's letters to a number of neighboring monarchs and rulers inviting them to Islam.

Bush: Iran's letter doesn't address the key question.

Reuters reported that President George W. Bush said that a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week did not answer the key question of when Tehran would abandon its nuclear program.

Iranian regime weaker than most believe.

The Telegraph reported that the world should not underestimate the weakness of Iran's theocracy since the Iranian people are prepared to put up with economic sanctions, including an oil embargo, and even military strikes, if they led to its overthrow.

Iranian regime concerned over dismissal of Jack Straw.

Iran Press News reported that the Iranian regime is concerned over the dismissal of Jack Straw as the UK foreign minister.
Rooz Online reported that a leading Iranian MP claimed that those in the US and Britain who opposed attacking Iran were being removed from office.

Iranians are nearly 80% of foreign jahadis arrested in Iraq.

World Peace Herald reported that a "staggeringly high" proportion of foreign jihadis arrested in Iraq are Iranian. They noted that 1,577 of the 1,972 jihadis arrested since last May were Iranians.

Iran dispatched terrorists to kill a Danish cartoonist?

Iran Press News reported that a German newspaper revealed that Tehran's regime had dispatched 12 terrorists to Denmark sent to expressly kill a Danish cartoonist responsible for the Mohammad cartoon.

An interview with the armed Iranian opposition leader. What they want.

Rooz Online published a telephone conversation with Abdol-Malek Rigi, the commander of the armed group Jondollah which has killed Iranian military personnel and even officials or taken them hostage.

Another IRGC commander killed.

Iran Press News reported that revolutionary guard Hassan Mohammadpour, deputy commander of the disciplinary forces from the town of Gorgan, Iran was shot and killed.

More arrests of political activists in Iran.

Iranian women demand justice.

Iran Press News reported that nine of the leading Iranian women activists who attended the International Women's Day gathering in Tehran said they had officially filed a complaint with the public prosecutor's office.

Germans arrest Iranians.

Reuters reported that a group of Iranian and German businesspeople have been arrested on suspicion of helping Iran try to get technology useable in war drones and Czech fighter planes.

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

Amir Taheri, The New York Post reported on the recent nervous statements by Arab Gulf leaders over Iran.
Yahoo News reported that former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called for direct talks with Iran saying: "The last thing we need is to invade another country."
The Wall Street Journal reported that while the Bush Administration has been under mounting pressure to engage in face-to-face talks with the Iranians the WSJ has deep doubts about this course because every previous U.S. attempt at engagement was spurned and taken as a sign of weakness.
Rooz Online reported that the representative of the world Bahai's at the United Nations will file a complaint to the UN over an Iranian government letter instructing that all government agencies in Iran collect the names of all Baha'is in Iran and control their activities.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran has appointed an ambassador to Iraq for the first time in more than 20 years.
Rooz Online published another cartoon: Ahmadinejad is dreaming.
Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi translated a cartoon: Let them eat yellow cake!