Middle Orient News

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s oil minister said a helicopter from the U.S.-led coalition caused a blaze on Tuesday that shut the major Shuaiba refinery near the southern oil hub of Basra, but an industry official blamed a mortar attack.

TEHRAN (FNA) Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel said US President George Bush would fail in attaining the goal of his visit to the Mideast region as Washington’s plot for portraying a frightening picture of Iran is destined to failure.

TEHRAN (FNA) Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Muhammad al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah is scheduled to arrive here in Tehran Tuesday evening to attend the two countries’ first joint economic cooperation commission meeting.

TEHRAN (FNA) Proposed by foreign minister and approved by the president, Fada Hossein Maleki was assigned as the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan.

TEHRAN (FNA) The United States has renewed its long-time smear campaign against the Islamic Republic during the last few weeks in a bid to bring Iran to the center stage once again.

TEHRAN (FNA) In a bid to reach a final solution to recurrent gas problems with Turkey, Iran has decided to construct a new pipeline to carry its natural gas to the Turkish market.

TEHRAN (FNA) The German Foreign Ministry Monday hailed the latest agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran to resolve all outstanding questions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

TEHRAN (FNA) Iran on Monday warned Turkmenistan that it would not reconsider any pricing issue before Ashgabat restores gas exports.

TEHRAN (FNA) Oil was steady on Tuesday after new supply disruptions in Nigeria and US allegations about a naval conflict with Iran rekindled supply worries, offsetting growing talk of a US recession that would hurt oil demand.

MADRID – Turkey’s government may seek an extension of its parliamentary mandate to attack Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq when the current authorization expires in October, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.