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

DoctorZin reports, 6.1.2006:

The US offers Iran talks, if...

Secretary Condoleezza Rice, U.S. State Department published a major statement on Iran: "Thus, to underscore our commitment to a diplomatic solution and to enhance the prospects for success, as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities, the United States will come to the table with our EU-3 colleagues and meet with Iran’s representatives." Full Text.
US State Department released a transcript of the Rice interview with Wolf Blitzer, CNN about her statement on Iran.
Michael Ledeen, The Corner responded to Rice's offer to Iran.
Wall Street Journal examined Condi's Iran Gambit and concludes that Ahmadinejad is getting what he wanted.

Iran calls US offer: a "Propaganda Move."

The Scotsman reported that Iran's official news agency IRNA said that an offer by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to join European nations in talks with Iran if it suspends uranium enrichment was a "propaganda move".
Mehran Riazaty reported that Fars News Agency reported that Kazem Jalali, the spokesman for the Iran parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said that the root of the US talks with Iran is positive, but Iran will reject any direct talks in which the US sets any preconditions.

10,000 protesting Iranians marching to Tehran?

Rooz Online reported that an Iranian MP had informed other MPs of the march of some 10,000 protestors from the towns of Orumie, Ardebil, Tabriz, and Zanjan to Tehran to hold a sit-in in front of the Parliament.
Rooz Online reported on the ban on media coverage of the growing Azerbaijan unrest.

Other reports from inside of Iran.

Rooz Online reported on the arrest of a large number of student activists and crackdown of students.
Rooz Online reported that the planned trips of 8 Iranian journalists and intellectuals who had been invited to participate in international forums outside Iran have been cancelled.
Rooz Online reported that Mansour Osanloo, the head of Iran’s bus syndicate is still in prison and refusing to make fake concessions or repent as requested by his interrogators.

The mainstream media gets it wrong, again.

The American Thinker criticized the New York Times and its recent positive treatment of Ahmadinejad.
Iraq The Model provided evidence that CNN mistranslated a statement by an Iraqi minister defending Iran's nuclear program.

Congressional Leaders seek Turkey's help on Iran.

Zaman.com reported that the US House of Representatives asked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step in to solve the Iranian nuclear crisis without arms.

Venezuela to supply Iran with gasoline?

Dow Jones Newswires reported that Iran and Venezuela are discussing the creation of a heavy oil processing plant in the Orinico belt that could supply the Islamic nation with gasoline.

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

MEMRI published: Power Struggle in Iran – Part II: Elections for the Assembly of Experts.
Reporters Without Borders reported that Iran's Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei is a predator of press freedom.
Reporters Without Borders said it was “very worried” about Abed Tavanchech, a blogger and student at Tehran’s Amirkabir polytechnic university, who has been missing since 26 May and may well have been arrested after posting photos and reports about the demonstrations.
Michael Ledeen, National Review Online examines the Ahmadinejad interview in Der Spiegel.
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., Townhall.com argued why the world should divest Iran.
Cox & Forkum published a cartoon: Step by Step.