Israel’s President Sends Message of Peace to Iran

Israel’s president reached out to the Iranian people with a message of peace Wednesday, as the West tightened sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program, and a former Israeli spymaster said Israel is not in mortal danger.

Shimon Peres, an elder statesmen who is a Nobel Peace laureate, appealed to the people of Iran to look beyond the current crisis. (more…)

Turkey mediated in release of 11 kidnapped Iranians in Syria

Syria’s Free Syrian Army has said Turkey mediated the release of 11 kidnapped Iranians, expressing gratitude to Turkey for its help and support for the rebel army.

Gunmen kidnapped 11 Iranian pilgrims heading to the Syrian capital from Turkey last Wednesday. The group of 35 pilgrims was traveling on a bus outside the central city of Hama when armed men ambushed the group. (more…)

Iran is a lot more divided now than it was , says Obama

President Barack Obama said on Monday the United States has a “very good estimate” of Iran’s progress toward processing uranium but has some difficulty keeping track of the political dynamics within the Islamic Republic.

“Do we know all the dynamics inside of Iran? Absolutely not. (more…)

Iran threatens to hit any country used to attack its soil

Iran will target any country used as a launchpad for attacks against its soil, the deputy Revolutionary Guards commander said, expanding Tehran ’s range of threats in an increasingly volatile stand-off with world powers over its nuclear ambitions. (more…)

Hezbollah’s secret war on Syrian rebels , report

The other night I spoke to Alaa al-Sheikh, the Free Syrian Army’s Khaled Bin Waleed Brigade in Rastan, a city that’s home about 25,000 people and lies on the main Damascus-Aleppo highway in the province of Homs. Over the last several months, Rastan has become the frontline in the war between Syrian rebels and pro-Assad loyalists (more…)

effort to rebrand ‘Arab Spring’ as ‘Islamic Awakening’ backfires in Iran

It was meant to be a crowning moment in which Iran put its own Islamic stamp on the Arab Spring. More than a thousand young activists were flown here earlier this week (at government expense) for a conference on “the Islamic Awakening,” Tehran’s effort to re-brand the popular Arab uprisings of the past year. (more…)

Geagea: Cabinet should resign, replaced with technocrats

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Thursday during a press conference in Maarab that the current cabinet should resign and be replaced with a cabinet of technocrats ,

“ We cannot allow this cabinet to continue. There is no reason that can justify for this cabinet to stay in power,” Geagea told reporters. (more…)

Surprise: Iran could have fuel for bomb before US election

Iran could have enough weapons-grade uranium to fuel one nuclear bomb with a 15-kiloton yield by the end of August, about the time the US presidential race will kick into high gear, according to a new report.

And if anything is likely to replace “jobs, jobs, jobs” at the top of the list of campaign issues, it’s the arrival of a nuclear-capable Iran. (more…)

Iranian envoy: Iran is ready to build 2 power plants in Lebanon

Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Ghadanfar Roken Abadi told MTV on Monday evening that Iran is ready to build two power plants in Lebanon and can start building the plants two weeks after the contract is awarded. (more…)

Iran appears to be helping Syrian regime, Special report

U.S. officials increasingly say they suspect that Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, Iran’s covert action mastermind, is operating in Syria, helping Tehran’s key Arab ally crush a 10-month-old uprising