Iranian Foreign Minister Visits Libya

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi traveled to Benghazi to meet with Libyan Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Keib and other members of the TNC. The parties planned to discuss expansion of bilateral relations, and Salehi suggested that Iran is ready to assist with Libya’s reconstruction.  Salehi added that Libya’s relations with the U.S. would not prevent reinvigoration of ties with Iran.

Iranian parliament approved new sentences for three prominent student activists who are already serving sentences. The the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a host of new sanctions against Iran, targeting its oil industry in particular. Paul Pillar asserts the bill would “prevent any exploration of ways to resolve disagreement,” and Jim Lobe says proponents want to involve the U.S. in yet another war in the Middle East.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he had 100 “undeniable documents” proving the United States has been behind “terrorist acts” throughout the Middle East. Victoria Nuland called the accusations “rhetoric designed to deflect popular attention in Iran away from the failings of the Iranian Government to meet the needs of its own people.” Ray Takeyh also suggests that Iran’s influence in Iraq may be waning, and that “the end of Iraq’s war … has left Iran without a coherent [Iraq] policy.”