Iran Stalemate Intensifies With More Sanctions (March 15, 2007)
So called permanent U.N. powers and Germany, weary of Iran's hardening position on its nuclear program, agreed "in principle" on a new set of sanctions on Tehran for continuing to defy world demands to abandon its enrichment program.<More>

Pak Alienating Neighbors, World Powers (March 12, 2007)
Despite signs of souring relations with Tehran and strained relations with Washington, Pakistan has asserted that it will not allow its territory to be used by the U.S. for anti-Iran operations.<More>

IAEA Cannot Certify Iranian Program "Peaceful" (March 06, 2007)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Mohammed El Baradei reported that his agency "cannot provide the required assurance about the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program."<More>

Essar Negotiating 20% Stake in Libyan Oil Field (March 05, 2007)
The Essar group is negotiating with Phoenix Libya (a subsidiary of Phoenix AG) to buy 20 percent stake with rights to buy up to 50 per cent in an oil and gas field in Libya and also plans to take oil and gas blocks in Iran, Papua New Guinea, and Libya.<More>

Sunni-Shia Consensus? (March 05, 2007)
Iranian hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz have reportedly agreed to stem increasing rift between Sunni and Shia Muslims that is dragging West Asia into crisis.<More>

India Bans Nuclear Exports to Iran (February 26, 2007)
Ahead of a tough message expected from the so-called permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and responding to Tehran's continue rejection of UNSC demands, India banned export of nuclear material, equipment, and technology to Iran.<More>

U.S. Says Natanz Plan has Khan Links (February 19, 2007)
The U.S. Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that the Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz has "unexplained ties" with the disgraced Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan's proliferation network.<More>

Russia Supports Natural Gas Cartel Idea (February 05, 2007)
Russia has proposed a gas producing cartel idea from Iran along the lines of the oil producing cartel so natural has exporters can come under a banner to control output to keep prices at higher levels.<More>

IPI Agreement Closer to Reality (January 31 , 2007)
As US-Iran relations nosedived over accusations of meddling over Iraq and Tehran’s nuclear program, India, Pakistan, and Iran seemed to have agreed on a price to transport natural gas to India over the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project.<More>

Lebanon Aid Pledge Mired in Internal Strife (January 29, 2007)
Saudi Arabia and United States got 30 other nations to pledge USD 7.6 billion to shore up a shaky Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora under siege by Hezbollah-led Shiite population.<More>

Indian Economy to Surpass US by 2050 (January 29, 2007)
A recent Goldman Sachs study projected that India, along with China, will surpass the US economy by 2050 as India has moved onto a much faster trajectory fueled by strong and steady manufacturing productivity gains.<More>

NK Nuclear Help to Iran, Indian Help Sought (January 25, 2007)
The Daily Telegraph carried an expose that accused North Korea (NK) of helping Iran with nuclear testing similar to the one it carried out last October by providing Iranian scientists relevant data and know-how.<More>

Iran Bars IAEA Inspectors, US Warns (January 24, 2007)
In an apparent retaliation against UN sanctions imposed last month on its controversial nuclear program, Iran barred 38 UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country and the US upped the ante saying that rapprochement with Iran was “not possible.”<More>

Personality-Neutral Relations with Iran (January 23, 2007)
In an act of militant defiance in response to the second US aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis into the Persian Gulf, Iran tested short range Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles ostensibly to evaluate “defensive and fighting capabilities of the missiles.” <More>

Halted Support for US Iraq Strategy (January 22, 2007)
Even as US allies in West Asia expressed support for the US’s new Iraq strategy, Riyadh haltingly expressed support but also doubted the even-handedness of the government in Baghdad to deal with the Sunni population or its capacity to stop sectarian violence.<More>

Israel-China Sign New Treaties (January 11, 2007)
Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Chinese Premier Web Jiabao signed three agreements covering cultural exchange, export of Israeli citrus fruit, and sale of water purification technology to China.<More>

Olmert Seeks China’s Help on Iran (January 10, 2007)
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is visiting China and is expected to lobby Beijing to take a tougher stand against Tehran’s controversial nuclear program especially if the recent sanctions on Iran would not influence its behavior.<More>

Israel Plans to Strike Iran (January 08, 2007)
In what could transform the whole West Asian region into decades of crisis and human suffering, Israel is reportedly planning to launch low-yield nuclear “bunker busters” to destroy Iran’s contentious nuclear sites at Ishafan, Natanz, and Arak.<More>

Russian Air Defense for Iran (January 05, 2007)
Ignoring international sanctions on Tehran for its suspected nuclear weapons program, Moscow supplied “at least half” of the contracted Tor-M1 short-range air defense systems valued at USD 1.4 billion to be deployed around strategically sensitive centers.<More>

Saddam Hanged, West Asia Crisis Intensifies (January 02, 2007)
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein convicted by a court of questionable credentials following controversial judicial process was hanged heightening the growing divide in the Islamic world that threatens to envelop the region and indirectly the world.<More>

Tehran Defiant on Sanctions (December 28, 2006)
For the first time, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged its nuclear weapons program when dismissing the UNSC resolution imposing limited sanctions against Tehran as a “piece of torn paper” meant to “scare Iranians.”<More>

Iran Sanctions, Shaky Azeri Relations (December 25, 2006)
After inviting UNSC sanctions and losing civic level elections, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sought to upgrade his souring domestic popularity by escalating tirades against the West and called President Bush "the most hated person" in the world.<More>

The Iran Problem for US (December 20, 2006)
As Tehran civic polls brought in moderate and reformist opponents of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s to power, US policy makers are increasingly concerned about developments and statements from Iran and especially about their nuclear program.<More>

India OK to Pay More for Iranian LNG (December 19, 2006)
India announced that it is considering paying a higher price of up to USD 4.50 per million British thermal units (BTU) for Iranian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and close a long-term supply deal to fuel its fast growing economy.<More>

Iran Wants US Out of Iraq (December 11, 2006)
Even as Iran said it will help when the US pulls out of the region, the Iraqi President rejected recommendations by the Iraq Study Group because it contained “dangerous articles” undermining “the sovereignty of Iraq ” and was an “insult to the Iraqi people.”<More>

No Role for Iran in Iraq (December 01, 2006)
US President George Bush met Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to review the Iraqi situation and assured him of giving him the “the tools,” “capacity to respond,” and that the US was not looking for a “graceful exit” promising to stay “until the job is complete.”<More>

Iran’s Proposed Price Rejected (November 29, 2006)
In rare unity, India and Pakistan have rejected a proposal by Iran–appointed consultant with new pricing for the USD 7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project because “certain parameters given by Iran, was not acceptable to India and Pakistan.”<More>

The Last Big Push (November 20, 2006)
Accused of being “in a state of denial,” US President George Bush rejected calls for a phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and instead has come up with a plan that will give it one “last big push” recognizing “the conditions on the ground.”<More>

Iran Flexes Missile Muscle Again (November 17, 2006)
In a surprise and unscheduled military exercise displaying its conventional weapons strength and leaving Israel very worried, Iran fired a battery and range of land and ship-borne missiles and maneuvers along with anti-tank and anti-helicopter weapons.<More>

Huge US Senate Support for Nuke Deal (November 17, 2006)
Handing US President a major victory on a key foreign policy objective and in a major show of bipartisan support, the Senate overwhelmingly endorsed the Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Deal that will allow the US to ship civilian nuclear fuel and technology to India.<More>

Lebanese Political Crisis and West Asia (November 14, 2006)
The resignation of 5 Shiite Ministers from the Lebanon Government increased regional tensions across sectarian and religious lines and the US Government (USG) applauded an Argentinean court branding the Hezbollah “global nexus of terrorism.”<More>

Russia Demands Time-Bound Iran Sanctions (November 06, 2006)
Providing several “line in/line-out” edits to the draft resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its nuclear sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the sanctions must include “a time limit” and “mechanisms for ending the sanctions.”<More>

Russia Disagrees with Iran Draft (October 30, 2006)
While insisting that it wants to “eliminate the risks of sensitive technologies” flowing to Iran, Russia opposed a European draft resolution calling sanctions against Iran because it wanted to maintain “all possible channels of communication.”<More>

Chinese Delegation Clarifies NK Stance (October 26, 2006)
After meeting with North Korean (NK) leader Kim Jong-Il, a Chinese delegation confirmed that he did not plan on a second nuclear test, did not apologize for the test, and is willing to return to negotiations if certain financial concessions were made.<More>

Iran-US Verbal War (October 09, 2006)
In a continuing war of words, Iran and the US have castigated each other with the US demanding sanctions as “time was of essence” and Iran refuting these and unilateral American sanctions as “useless.”<More>

New Life to IPI Project? (September 20, 2006)
After meeting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Havana summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he is willing to rework the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline once the feasibility study is complete.<More>

Iran Complains of US Negative Role (September 19, 2006)
Signaling its willingness to temporarily suspend its controversial nuclear enrichment program, Iran complained of US’s negative role through its “unfounded accusations” even as UN bodies protested parts of a Congressional report as “outrageous and dishonest.”<More>

IAEA Complains About Iran ’s Cooperation (September 14, 2006)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohamed El Baradei expressed “serious concern” that lack of cooperation was hampering his organization’s efforts to determine the nature of Iranian nuclear program.<More>

Confusion on Iran as Deadline Passes (September, 05 2006)
EU Foreign Ministers have cautioned against hasty decisions, including sanctions, on Iran even as the US said military action against Tehran “is not off the table” and some say that India ’s relations with Iran may arrest the development of Indo-US relations.<More>

Iranian Official Visits India (August 30, 2006)
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Asia, Oceania and Commonwealth, Dr Mehdi Safari is visiting India to appraise India of its position over the nuclear stand-off with the West reiterating that it is open to negotiations and diplomatic solution.<More>

Iran Expands Heavy Water Project (August 29, 2006)
A defiant yet indulgent Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated a new phase in the Arak heavy-water reactor project dismissing global concerns of its controversial program but asserting that “Iran is not a threat to anybody." <More>

Iran Proposes Talks to Resolve Stalemate (August 28, 2006)
Iran once again reiterated its willingness to negotiate a way out of the impasse over its controversial nuclear program but the US said that while it would study the Iranian counter proposal to the EU offer, it is prepared to move with or without the UN.<More>

Iran Test-Fires Short-Range Missiles (August 21, 2006)
A day after large-scale military exercises across the nation, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed that Iran has successfully test-fired 10 short-range surface-to-surface Saegheh missiles.<More>

Pressured Iran Threatens NPT Withdrawal (August 14, 2006)
In an interview to national English newspaper The Hindu, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asserted that he still believes in dialogue but did not like the continued pressure and insistence on taking away the rights that his country has.<More>

UNSC to Demand Iran Suspend Nuclear Enrichment (August 09, 2006)
The UN Security Council (UNSC) looked set to adopt a EU-sponsored and US-backed resolution demanding Iran “suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development” by the end of August. <More>