World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (January 28-30, 2012)

The Washington Post reported that Iran’s state TV is reporting the country has produced laser-guided artillery shells, capable of hitting moving targets with high accuracy. The Monday report quoting Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi also says that the shell was an “intelligent” munition with the capability to identify its own targets. The report was accompanied by footage showing an artillery piece firing a shell, followed by an explosion in the desert. The report does not give details on specifications of the shell. It could not be independently verified. Iran occasionally announces the production and testing of military equipment, ranging from torpedoes to missiles and jet fighters.

The same agency reported that Iran’s official news agency reports that the country’s foreign minister has said that inspectors from the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog can extend an ongoing visit to the Islamic Republic. The Monday report by IRNA says Ali Akbar Salehi told Turkish TRT TV in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the three-day visit by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors that started Sunday can be extended “if they desire.” The remarks appear to be part of a show of flexibility and transparency by Tehran during the IAEA inspection tour, which could greatly influence the direction and urgency of U.S.-led efforts to rein in Iran’s ability to enrich uranium.

The New York Times published the article headlined “Russia: Liberal Candidate Is Barred From Election.” It says that the Central Election Commission on Friday barred Grigory A. Yavlinsky, founder of the liberal opposition party Yabloko, from competing in the March 4 presidential election. Mr. Yavlinsky, left, submitted the 2 million signatures required to qualify for the ballot, but the commission ruled that over a quarter of the 600,000 signatures randomly selected for verification were invalid. Mr. Yavlinsky promised to challenge the ruling, which he said was politically motivated. Without a candidate, Yabloko will not be able to send thousands of observers to polling stations in March, as it did for parliamentary elections in December. Another independent candidate, Dmitry Mezentsev, was also disqualified.

The other article published by the same information agency is subtitled “Iran Hopeful About Visit by Inspectors.” It says that Iran’s foreign minister expressed optimism on Sunday that a visit by United Nations nuclear inspectors would produce an understanding, despite world concerns that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. The three-day inspection tour by the team from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based United Nations nuclear monitor, comes during rising tension over Iran’s nuclear program. The West tightened sanctions this month to try to force Iran to slow or halt the program, prompting Iran to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil passage, in retaliation. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, on a visit to Ethiopia, appeared to be trying to defuse the crisis. “We are very optimistic about the mission and the outcome,” he said of the nuclear inspection, according to Iran’s semiofficial Mehr news agency. “We’ve always tried to put transparency as a principle in our cooperation with IAEA During this visit, the delegation has questions and the necessary answers will be given.”

The Turkish information agency Hurriyet reported that the findings from the three-day visit could significantly influence the direction and urgency of U.S.-led efforts to rein in Iran’s ability to enrich uranium, which Washington and allies fear could eventually produce weapons-grade material. Iran has refused to abandon its enrichment labs, claiming it only seeks to fuel reactors for energy and medical research. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team is likely to visit an underground enrichment site near the holy city of Qom, 130 kilometers south of Tehran, which is carved into a mountain as protection from possible airstrikes. Earlier this month, Iran said it had begun enrichment work at the site. Ahead of his arrival, the IAEA Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts, who is in charge of the agency’s Iran file, said he wanted Tehran to “engage us on all concerns,” according to an Associated Press report.