What We're Reading Now
Jul 13, 2011

IRAN
US targets Iran - via Iraq
Barbara Slavin, Asia Times - July 14, 2011
WASHINGTON - Reviving United States-Iran friction over Iraq may have more to do with deteriorating relations over Iran's nuclear program than with uncertainty over US troop levels in Iraq beyond the end of this year. In recent weeks, a chorus of US officials has accused Iran of providing lethal weapons to Iraqi Shi'ite militias that have targeted US soldiers and caused a spike in US death tolls. United States accusations are hard if not impossible to prove given the fact that Iraq is awash with weapons and smuggling across the border with Iran is rampant.

Iran rejects U.S. claim it is supporting insurgents in Iraq
CNN - July 13, 2011
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's defense minister rejected U.S. allegations that the country was helping insurgents in neighboring Iraq, saying Wednesday that such "baseless claims" demonstrate U.S. failure in the Middle Eastern country.Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi's comments were reported by the semiofficial Fars News Agency.His comments came after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta became the latest U.S. official to reiterate that Iraq needs to crack down on armed factions that have been targeting U.S. troops with Iranian-supplied weapons.

Iran, IAEA agree to clarify misunderstandings
Moneycontrol - July 13, 2011
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has said that Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed to increase cooperation in regard to Iran's nuclear program in order to clear up misunderstandings. Salehi made the remarks in an interview with reporters after a meeting with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna yesterday.