Topic: Iran

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Chorus grows against Obama administration's sanctions-heavy Iran policy

The Obama administration's effort to end Iran's nuclear program has focused on punitive measures, with little diplomatic outreach. Critics say this jeopardizes negotiations.
Opinion To nudge Iran talks, new UN resolution needed

UN Security Council resolutions that Iran must stop 'all' enrichment activities are outmoded, unrealistic, and hurt the Iran talks. A new resolution should promise to lift sanctions if the parties reach a reasonable agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
Opinion Death penalty: A pragmatic case for repeal

Momentum in the states is shifting toward the repeal of the death penalty. There are practical reasons for this: The death penalty is expensive, it does not work, and it is administered with a clear racial bias. Repealing it is a matter of justice, public safety, and effective governance.
Decoder Wire George W. Bush poll numbers up. Does America miss him yet?

George W. Bush left office with a 23 percent approval rating, but now, as his presidential library is about to open in Dallas, he's back up to 47 percent. But he's got a way to catch Bill Clinton.
Hagel goes to Israel bearing gifts of radar and Ospreys

The US will give Israel advanced radar systems, more powerful missiles, and aircraft never before sold outside the US. Together, they could diminish Israel's sense of threat from Iran.
Canada alleges Al Qaeda plot from Iran, but Tehran's involvement unlikely (+video)

Shiite Iran and Sunni Al Qaeda have long had a hostile relationship. While state involvement appears unlikely, Tehran has less control over the country's far east.
Al Qaeda in Canada? Two men arrested, charged with terrorism.

Two men were charged with plotting a terrorist attack against a Canadian passenger train with support from Al Qaeda elements in Iran, police said Monday. The men are not Canadian citizens, but they had been in Canada a "significant amount of time," said police.
Global News Blog Two arrested in Al Qaeda US-Canada train plot – directed from Iran (+video)

Canadian police thwarted a terrorist attack on a US-Canada train by two men directed by Al Qaeda in Iran. Yes, Al Qaeda in Iran, say police.
Hagel: Israel and US see 'exactly the same' threat from Iran

On a trip to Israel, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said the US and Israel view the threat from Iran the same way, but differ on the point at which military action would be necessary.
Iran's Khamenei condemns Boston Marathon attacks, but takes jab at US policies

Iran's supreme leader was emphatic in his condemnation of the Boston Marathon attacks, but criticized the US for decrying attacks on its own civilians while carrying out drone strikes elsewhere.
Terrorism & Security Rockets fired from Egypt slam into Israeli resort town

An Islamist militant group claimed responsibility, citing retaliation for the Israeli attack on Palestinians protesting the death of an inmate in an Israeli prison.
Global News Blog Boston Marathon blasts: How the world is responding

The usual joy and pride surrounding Boston's Marathon was marred by yesterday's attack. Headlines from countries familiar with terrorism were filled with support for the city.
USA Update Five earthquakes hit central Oklahoma early Tuesday

The 4.3 magnitude earthquake, with aftershocks, that struck Oklahoma is small, compared with Tuesday's 7.8 magnitude earthquake near the Iran-Pakistan border. The Red Cross expects no injuries in Oklahoma.
Iran earthquake, at least 7.7 magnitude, strikes along Iran-Pakistan border

Iran's Red Crescent said it was facing a 'complicated emergency situation' in the area, with at least 46 people in the sparsely populated region killed.
Energy Voices How oil exporters reach financial collapse

High oil prices are good for oil exporters while low oil prices are good for oil importers, Tverberg writes. The result is a price tug of war between oil importers and oil exporters.
For former Iranian 'terrorists,' a warm Washington welcome

With Washington luminaries in attendance, the Iranian dissident group NCRI and its formerly armed wing MEK inaugurated their sleek new offices Thursday, within sight of the White House.
Global News Blog Death penalty: Amnesty International says global decline in executions stalls (+video)

In 2012, four countries that had not used the death penalty in several years were on Amnesty International's list. Missing was China, which keeps its figures secret but is estimated to far outpace others in executions.
Latin America Monitor Think Chávez was paranoid? Venezuela's Maduro warns of US-funded biker gangs.

Interim President Nicolás Maduro has spoken publicly about conspiracies ranging from murder plots to Salvadoran mercenaries. They serve as a political tool to unify the population and silence criticism.
Briefing UN arms trade treaty: Will it receive US Senate approval?

Why the new initiative is so controversial among US conservatives.
Kerry makes no further U.S. commitments in Syria

The situation in Syria and the North Korean threats were high on the agenda when G8 leaders gathered in London on Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made no further U.S. commitments in Syria, but spoke of the need for the opposition to become better organized.
North Korea missile test: What's a Musudan? (+video)

If North Korea test-fires a Musudan, it could settle a debate within the expert community about the capabilities of the intermediate-range ballistic missile – or whether it exists at all.
Iran earthquake kills 37, shakes nuclear power plant

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Iran struck near the Bushehr power plant, but company officials report no damage. The Iran earthquake was felt in countries across the Persian Gulf.
Top admiral worries North Korea crisis could escalate 'pretty quickly'

In congressional testimony, the head of US Pacific Command said tensions stoked by North Korea mean that one miscalculation could lead to 'significant combat activity from the North.'
Opinion To break the cycle of North Korea threats, US must put Kim on his heels (+video)

To break the cycle of threats from North Korea, the United States must take a much more assertive stance. Leader Kim Jong-un must be put on the defensive by sending him a clear warning of preemptive action if America and its allies find themselves threatened.
Iran's 'axis of resistance' loses its Palestinian arm to Syrian war

Sunni Hamas has broken its longtime ties with the Assad regime to fight alongside the predominantly Sunni Syrian opposition.