Iran
Israel Urges Tougher Line With Tehran
Joshua Mitnick and Jay Solomon, Wall Street Journal – May 29, 2012
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu took international negotiators to task for showing signs of compromise with Iran, potentially complicating U.S. efforts to advance nuclear talks. In a lecture at a Tel Aviv think tank on Tuesday evening, the prime minister expressed disappointment that negotiators in the most recent round of talks in Baghdad last week seemed to concede that Iran would be permitted to carry out low-level uranium enrichment.
Iran acknowledges that Flame virus has infected computers nationwide
Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post – May 29, 2012
Iranian officials have acknowledged that a sophisticated virus has infected computers across the country and, echoing the conclusions of security researchers, suggested that the malicious code is related to the virus that damaged centrifuges in an Iranian nuclear facility two years ago.
Middle East
US remains opposed to military action in Syria
Julie Pace, Associated Press – May 30, 2012
The U.S. joined more than a dozen nations in expelling Syrian diplomats on Tuesday, and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney pushed for further, direct action to dislodge Syrian President Bashar Assad. But President Barack Obama’s spokesman emphasized more limited options.
Russia
Moscow Turns Up Pressure on U.S. Envoy
Richard Boudreaux – May 29, 2012
Russia warned America’s ambassador Tuesday to tone down his public remarks, suggesting for the first time that the envoy was sowing discord. The admonishment by President Vladimir Putin’s senior foreign-policy aide, in comments to reporters, followed stronger criticism by the Foreign Ministry of what it called undiplomatic words by Ambassador Michael McFaul in a public lecture.
