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Iran to list approved presidential candidates

Iran's June 14 presidential election steps up a gear on Tuesday when the Guardians Council releases the approved list of candidates who have passed muster under the vetting process. The unelected council, controlled by religious conservatives appointed by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, must ensure that all candidates meet certain conditions before being allowed to stand. These conditions include being faithful to the principles of the Islamic republic and its official religion.

Iran slams French call for 'decisive sanctions'

Iran on Sunday condemned a call by French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian for "decisive sanctions" against the Islamic state over its disputed nuclear programme, the ISNA news agency reported. Such comments indicate "that so far sanctions have been ineffective and fruitless," Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said. Le Drian said on Friday that the United States and European nations should take firmer action against Iran over its controversial programme of uranium enrichment.

US removes Iraqi bank from Iran sanctions list

The United States on Friday removed sanctions on an Iraqi bank that was blacklisted last year for helping Iran skirt international financial controls over its nuclear activities. The US Treasury said it removed the sanctions placed last July on Baghdad-based Elaf Islamic Bank after Elaf acted to freeze assets of the Export Development Bank of Iran and cut its exposure to Iran's financial system. The sanctions, part of the US effort to isolate Iran from the global economy over its alleged nuclear weapons program, had banned Elaf from any access to the US financial system.

Women cannot stand for Iran president

Women can not contest Iran's June 14 presidential election, a member of the Islamic state's electoral watchdog said in media reports on Friday, dashing the hopes of some 30 female candidates. "The law prohibits women from being president," said hardline cleric and former judiciary chief Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, quoted by the Mehr news agency. Yazdi is a prominent member of Iran's Guardians Council, an unelected watchdog controlled by religious conservatives and appointed by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that is tasked mainly with vetting candidates.

U.N. watchdog, EU's Ashton to press Iran in nuclear dispute

By Fredrik Dahl and Parisa Hafezi VIENNA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Iran faces international pressure over its nuclear program in two separate meetings on Wednesday, but no breakthrough is expected with the Islamic state focused on next month's presidential election. In Vienna, the U.N. nuclear agency will once again urge Iran to stop stonewalling its inquiry into suspected atomic bomb research by Tehran, which denies any intent to make such arms.

IAEA, Iran talks fail again as US hikes pressure

Nuclear talks between Iran and the UN atomic agency failed yet again Wednesday, as the top US diplomat in separate six-party negotiations warned Washington's patience was wearing thin. As the EU's foreign policy chief prepared to meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator in Istanbul for the first time since a fruitless effort in early April, the UN body's chief inspector admitted parallel Vienna talks had ended without a deal.

Iran MPs urge ban on presidential runs by Rafsanjani, Mashaie

By Yeganeh Torbati DUBAI (Reuters) - Some 100 legislators are demanding a ban on two top independent candidates including ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani from Iran's June presidential election in what may be a further move to thwart any brewing challenge to the clerical supreme leader.

US slams 'repression' in run-up to Iran polls

US officials Wednesday slammed a campaign of "unrelenting repression" ahead of Iran's presidential elections, and said the outcome would be very hard to predict amid a secret vetting process. The future direction of the next Iranian leadership in ongoing talks with world powers about the Islamic republic's suspect nuclear program was also difficult to determine, top State Department officials told US lawmakers.

IAEA, Iran talks fail again

Nuclear talks between Iran and the UN atomic agency failed yet again Wednesday, as a top US diplomat said she expected the IAEA to report Tehran to the UN Security Council soon. The IAEA announcement came just as EU foreign policy chief was due to meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator in Istanbul for the first time since failed six-party talks in April. "We could not finalise the structured approach document that has been under negotiation for a year and a half," the International Atomic Energy Agency's chief inspector told reporters.

US targets Iran rial, gold imports in sanctions pressure

The United States is working to block sales of gold to Iranians in order to undermine their currency the rial and to step up pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program, officials said Wednesday. From July 1, the US will ban sales of gold by anyone to either the Iranian government or to Iranian citizens, a senior US Treasury official said. Washington has warned Iran's neighbors Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, key regional centers of the gold trade, to stop gold sales to Iran, said David Cohen, treasury under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
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