World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (December 27-28, 2011)

"South Stream Wins Nod From Turkey" is an article published by the Wall Street Journal. Today Moscow and Turkey signed an agreement on the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline across the Black Sea waters, Gazprom has informed. Turkey's decision removes a major obstacle for Russia to proceed with a project that could increase Europe's dependence on Russian natural-gas supplies, the journal reports. The approval was given by Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Tildiz during talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The pipeline, which is expected to transport up to 63 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe by 2015, is seen as a rival to the European Union Nabucco project. Russia supplies around a quarter of Europe's gas needs, but supply disruptions in recent years have prompted EU officials to seek to lower the bloc's dependence on Russian gas. The realization of the South Stream may further increase the dependence of EU on Russia's gas.
The threat posed by Iran on Tuesday regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in case the West imposes sanctions on Iran's oil exports, remain in the focus of world media. The Press TV, Iranian state-owned news agency reports that Iran's navy chief warned that his country can easily close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at he mouth of the Persian Gulf, the passageway through which a sixth of the world's oil flows. In two days this was the second warning. On Tuesday, Vice President Mohamed Reza Rahimi threatened to close the strait, cutting off oil exports, if the West imposes sanctions on Iran's oil "Closing the Strait of Hormuz is very easy for Iranian naval forces," Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told Press TV today.
Among the news from Iran reported by major Western media is the trial of an alleged American spy in Iran. On Tuesday the Iranian court began hearings on Tuesday in the trial of a man who appeared on state television this month and confessed to being an American spy sent to infiltrate the intelligence services of Iran, New York Times reports. Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, an Iranian-American born in Arizona in 1983, repeated his confession to the court. The C.I.A. declined to comment on this matter. The New York Times suggests that the case has been most probably fabricated in line with a common practice of public announcements regarding detention of alleged Western spies in Iran.
"Israel targets Palestinian militants in Gaza strip" is the title of an article published by Los Angeles Times. The newspaper reports that Israel targeted Palestinian militants in a pair of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip late Tuesday. In a second separate raid Israeli forces targeted a vehicle in the northern part of Gaza City. Eight people were injured in the strike, five of them passengers of the vehicle. The airstrikes occurred on the third anniversary of what Israel called Operation Cast Lead, a three-week military assault on the Gaza Strip. They also came as Palestinian leaders grapple to reconcile Hamas and Fatah, which controls the West Bank, Los Angeles Times reports.
At the center of attention of the Western media is also the court case in Egypt regarding forced viriginity tests performed on female detainees in Egypt's military-controlled prisons. The Washington Post reports that the Egyptian court banned virginity tests on women in military prisons on Tuesday. The ban came in response to a lawsuit filled by Samira Ibrahim, one of seven women who said they were subjected to humiliating virginity checks after being detained by the military at a March demonstration.