[caption id="attachment_28199" align="alignright" width="300"] A US Naval vessel and helicopter in the Persian Gulf[/caption]
Iran news headlines on Monday include US commander denial of Persian Gulf drill directing at Iran; Iranian MPs criticizing Ahmadinejad over candidate endorsement; 4.4 magnitude quake strike in Iran’s Shiraz; Iran plan of  construction of six oil refineries in African countries in near future and country expressing hope over upcoming nuclear talks in Istanbul.

US-led drill in Persian Gulf not directed at Iran: US commander
A top US commander says a naval exercise involving 41 countries in the Persian Gulf is not directed at Iran and described the maneuvers as “purely defensive.” Vice Admiral John Miller, commander of the US Fifth Fleet, made the comments at a news conference in the Bahraini capital Manama on Sunday.

 
Iranian MPs complain against present and former presidents
Some 150 Iranian members of parliament have appealed to the Judiciary System against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They addressed Iran’s Judiciary System with a request to proceed on Ahmadienejad’s law violation due to his “apparent support” for a candidate in the upcoming presidential election.

 
Earthquake injuries twelve people in Iranian city of Shiraz
Twelve people were injured as a result of an earthquake that took place in the city of Shiraz in the Fars province in Iran, ISNA agency quotes Chief of Emergency Aid Service of the Fars Province, Kamran Firoozi as saying. According to Firoozi, five of the 12 injured are in a serious condition and are hospitalised.

 
Iran to build 6 refineries in Africa
Iran will build six oil refineries in African countries in the near future, Tehran Times daily reported on Monday. Iranian energy official Hassan Khosrojerdi was quoted as saying Iran has signed memorandums of understanding with six African countries and has started to look for appropriate places to establish the refineries.

 
Iran expects ‘progress’ in U.N. nuclear talks, West skeptical
Iran expects progress will be made in talks this week with the United Nations’ atomic agency, Tehran’s nuclear envoy said on Monday, but Western diplomats held out little hope of an end to the deadlock.

 

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