Top Stories
WSJ:
"The Obama administration is preparing for high-level meetings
next week with the Iranian government on its nuclear ambitions and is
open to a direct exchange between President Barack Obama and Iran's new
president, Hasan Rouhani, at the United Nations, according to senior
U.S. officials. The recent softening between Washington and Tehran
gained new momentum with the release by Iran in recent days of 11
political prisoners, including a prominent human-rights lawyer freed on
Wednesday. The releases were seen as a signal to Washington of a desire
for better relations on the eve of Mr. Rouhani's first visit as
president to the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General
Assembly. Both Messrs. Rouhani and Obama will address the General
Assembly in New York on Tuesday. White House officials said Mr. Obama
currently has no planned meeting with Mr. Rouhani. But the two sides
have communicated ahead of what could be the first face-to-face
interaction between an American and a president of the Islamic
republic." http://t.uani.com/1ds8yp4
Fox News:
"In its most symbolic conciliatory gesture yet, the new Iranian
regime released at least 11 political prisoners today, including two
renowned human rights advocates, according to government sources. The
move, likely intended to signal a new, moderate approach from Tehran,
comes just before new President Hassan Rowhani's upcoming address to
the UN General Assembly. But with jails packed with dissidents and
religious prisoners, including American citizen Saeed Abedini, it may
take more than the release of 11 people and even a pledge not to pursue
nuclear weapons to convince the world of a shift in Iranian policy.
Among the freed prisoners were eight women and three men, including
internationally-recognized human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.
Sotoudeh, a mother of two, was handed a six-year sentence in 2011 on
national security charges. She was an active and vocal human rights
attorney known for taking on high-profile political and human rights
cases... There are currently over 800 political prisoners still being
held in Iran, including journalists, photographers, bloggers, lawyers,
human rights activists and Christians and Bahais held for their
faith." http://t.uani.com/18Azn5m
Reuters:
"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Wednesday that his
government would never develop nuclear weapons, his strongest signal
yet that he may be seeking a diplomatic thaw with the West after
decades of acrimony. In an interview with NBC News days before he
travels to New York for a U.N. appearance, the new Iranian president
also insisted he had 'complete authority' to negotiate a nuclear deal
with the United States and other Western powers. 'We have time and
again said that under no circumstances would we seek any weapons of
mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, nor will we ever,' Rouhani
said when asked whether he would forswear nuclear arms." http://t.uani.com/156zgDA
Nuclear
Program
Reuters:
"President Barack Obama has told Iran's President Hassan Rouhani
in an exchange of letters that the United States is ready to resolve
its nuclear dispute with Iran in a way that allows Tehran to show it is
not trying to build weapons, the White House said on Wednesday. 'In his
letter the president indicated that the U.S. is ready to resolve the
nuclear issue in a way that allows Iran to demonstrate that its nuclear
program is for exclusively peaceful purposes,' said White House
spokesman Jay Carney. 'The letter also conveyed the need to act with a
sense of urgency to address this issue because, as we have long said,
the window of opportunity for resolving this diplomatically is open,
but it will not remain open indefinitely,' Carney said." http://t.uani.com/1aVTYJ9
AP:
"A West African man was ordered jailed Thursday until trial on
U.S. charges that he attempted to broker an illegal deal to ship tons
of uranium ore from Sierra Leone to Iran, including a trip to the U.S.
with uranium ore samples concealed in shoes inside his luggage. Patrick
Campbell, 33, faces a maximum of 20 years behind bars and up to $1
million in fines if convicted of attempting to violate the U.S. embargo
against Iran. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement affidavit
filed in federal court says Campbell claimed he could supply enough ore
- commonly known as yellowcake - to yield 1,000 tons of purified
uranium that could be used for nuclear fuel or weapons." http://t.uani.com/156v1bg
Reuters:
"Talk by Iran's Supreme Leader of 'flexibility' days before his
government's debut at the United Nations General Assembly in New York
suggests a new willingness at the highest level to explore a compromise
solution to Tehran's nuclear row with the West... A Tehran-based
diplomat said there had been a significant change of mood in the
government but the real question was whether Rouhani would bring any
new initiative to New York. 'Khamenei's words indicate that Iran may
have a bit of space to compromise but it's very unclear how much that
will be. It's unclear whether this is a change in negotiating tactics
or preparing for Iran to compromise,' the diplomat said. The Western
message that Iran's more conciliatory language needs to be backed up
with concrete action was underlined by the United States, France,
Britain and others at this week's annual gathering of the International
Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna." http://t.uani.com/1gCXTYz
Reuters:
"Israel accused Iran on Wednesday of using 'deception and
concealment' to buy time for its nuclear program, signaling skepticism
about the new Iranian president's move away from the hardline stance of
his predecessor... An Iranian official said he saw an 'opening' in
Iran's nuclear row with the West, in the latest signal that Tehran
expects fresh movement to break the deadlock. But the head of Israel's
Atomic Energy Commission said: 'The picture that the Iranian
representatives are portraying regarding openness and transparency of
their nuclear program ... stands in sharp contradiction with Iran's
actual actions and the facts on the ground.' The issue was not whether
Iran has 'modified its diplomatic vocabulary ... but whether it is
addressing seriously and in a timely manner outstanding issues that
have remained unresolved for too long,' Shaul Chorev told the annual
meeting of member states of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA)." http://t.uani.com/1erWpUi
Sanctions
Reuters:
"The government will provide a 10 billion rupee sovereign
guarantee to back local insurance for refineries using Iranian oil, two
government sources said, as it tries to boost imports paid for in local
currency to ease pressure on the rupee. India's crude imports from Iran
slumped 75 percent in July from June to just 35,500 barrels per day
(bpd) because of problems over insurance for crude from Iran caused by
western sanctions which aim to curb its nuclear ambitions. But with oil
imports in dollars swelling India's current account deficit to a record
in 2012/13, the government is trying to maximise purchases from Iran,
which is now accepting rupees as its hard currency options are
curtailed." http://t.uani.com/1erZgMX
Reuters:
"Tanzania has asked Iran to ensure its oil tankers do not identify
themselves as Tanzanian nearly a year after the east African country
says it de-registered all Iranian vessels flying its national flag. The
maritime authority in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania,
said it was concerned Iranian tankers appeared to still be using
Tanzania's call sign as a prefix to their MMSI, a signal that identifies
a ship and its location. Zanzibar launched an investigation in July
last year into accusations it had re-flagged 36 Iranian tankers. It
concluded that a Dubai-based shipping agent had registered the vessels
to fly the Tanzanian flag without its knowledge and insists it then
de-registered the vessels. But on Wednesday, Abdi Omar Maalim, director
general of the Zanzibar Maritime Authority, said Zanzibar had written
to Iran's Embassy after it received reports Iran's vessels were still
showing on tracking systems as Tanzanian-flagged." http://t.uani.com/17LVY1V
AP:
"Rhode Island is no longer going to invest in or contract with
companies that do business in Iran. A new state law requires the state
to pull any pension investments in companies doing business in Iran.
The state will also end any relationships with state contractors with a
presence in the country. Companies would be given the option of ceasing
their operations in Iran before the state takes action. Gov. Lincoln
Chafee and other state leaders held a ceremonial signing for the law on
Tuesday. State lawmakers passed the divestment law earlier this
year. Supporters say it will help put financial pressure on Iran to
drop its nuclear weapon development efforts and end its support for
terrorist groups." http://t.uani.com/16hVvAq
Human Rights
IHR:
"According to reports from reliable sources in Iran, at least four
prisoners were hanged in the Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj (west of
Tehran) today. The sources told Iran Human Rights that one of the four
prisoners was identified as Fardin Mohammadi born in 1989, from the
section 6 of the prison and had been in prison for 5 years. The other
prisoners who are not identified yet, were from the sections 3, 4 and
7." http://t.uani.com/1aNylqW
Reuters:
"Newly-released Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh said
on Thursday she expected President Hassan Rouhani's government to free
hundreds of other people jailed for their political beliefs to show it
is serious about reform... Sotoudeh told Reuters she expected the
release of others detained for their political activities during
Ahmadinejad's presidency, which she said numbered some 300 men and
women. 'We are waiting for all political prisoners to be freed,'
Sotoudeh said by phone from Tehran. 'This has occurred very late, and
not all prisoners have been released,' she said. 'My expectation is
that the process that has started will continue,' she said. 'If it does
not continue, it means that this was a move made for appearances. But I
am extremely hopeful that this will continue.'" http://t.uani.com/16HWXAx
Domestic
Affairs
AP: "Iranian President Hasan Rouhani says his people should be
free to think, speak and seek information on the Internet, subject to
'the protection of our national identity.' In an interview with NBC
News in Tehran, Rouhani said that a 'commission for citizens' rights'
will be established 'in the near future.' He said the viewpoint of the
government on censorship issues should be based 'on our morals.' ... He
side-stepped a question about whether the Holocaust was real. And he
said that his authority is genuine and lasting, even though Iranian
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is known to control all matters
of state, including nuclear." http://t.uani.com/1gCXg0Y
Foreign
Affairs
NBC:
"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed Israel for causing
'injustice to the people' of the Middle East during an exclusive
interview with NBC News in which he also called for peace, saying Iran
is not 'looking for war.' Unlike his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
Rouhani struck a moderate tone on many issues, but he deflected a
question from NBC News' Ann Curry about whether he believed that the
Holocaust was 'a myth.' 'I'm not a historian. I'm a politician,' he
replied. 'What is important for us is that the countries of the region
and the people grow closer to each other, and that they are able to
prevent aggression and injustice.' ... Rouhani described Israel as 'an
occupier and usurper government' that 'does injustice to the people of
the region, and has brought instability to the region, with its
warmongering policies.' He added Israel 'shouldn't allow itself to give
speeches about a democratically and freely elected government.'" http://t.uani.com/156xIJH
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