Press review on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (January 10, 2012)

The Washington Post reported that an Iranian court sentenced a Michigan man to death on espionage charges Monday, drawing an angry response from the Obama administration and driving up the temperature in an increasingly volatile feud between the two countries. Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine of Iranian descent, was handed a death sentence for a list of alleged crimes that included spying for the CIA, state media reported. U.S. officials said the charges were false and politically motivated, describing them as the latest in a series of provocations by Iran’s clerical rulers.

The same agency reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended his country’s nuclear program as he began a four-nation tour of Latin America, joining his ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in accusing the U.S. and its allies of using the dispute to unjustly threaten Iran. Both leaders dismissed U.S. concerns about Iran’s intentions in the Middle East and its growing diplomatic ties with Chavez and his allies in Latin America. The Iranian leader is using the visit to tout relationships with some of his close friends shortly after the U.S. imposed tougher sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The Venezuelan leader said Iran’s assistance has helped his country build 14,000 homes as well as factories that produce food, tractors and vehicles. Government officials signed two agreements promoting industrial cooperation and worker training.

The New York Times published the article headlined “Inspectors Say Iran Is Enriching Uranium at Mountain Site.” It says that atomic inspectors in Vienna confirmed Monday that Iran has begun enriching uranium at a new plant carved out of a mountain, an act of defiance that comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran over oil revenues and global sanctions. In past days, Iranian officials have claimed they were about to begin operating the new plant — known as Fordo and located in a mountainous region near the holy city of Qum. It is Iran’s second major enrichment site, and it is buried deep underground. That makes it not only less vulnerable to attack but also potentially far more opaque. It remained an Iranian secret until its existence was unveiled more than two years ago. A spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency, Gill Tudor, said Monday that the agency could confirm that Iran has begun enriching uranium at the Fordo plant.

“Iran envoy slams US on Turkey ties” is an article published by the Turkish information agency Hurriyet. It says that The U.S. aims to harm relations between Turkey and Iran, Iranian envoy Bahman Hosseinpour said ahead of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns’ talks with Turkish officials yesterday. “They try to destroy relations between Turkey and Iran. But, as Turkey and Iran have yet to develop their relations, those ties became unshakeable by any winds,” the Iranian ambassador said in a press conference yesterday. However, he said, Turkey and Iran were “saying good words to each other, but it was time to put these into action.” Burns was to hold talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu last night when the Daily News went to press. Burns’ visit to Turkey coincides with growing concerns over an armed conflict between Iran and the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz, after Washington issued a series of sanctions against Iran which would penalize foreign financial institutions who do business with Iran’s Central Bank.