Negotiations to revive the Iran nuclear deal continued to stall this week. Washington said Tehran had not yet agreed to come back to compliance with the current agreement as a first step, and that discussions could not go on indefinitely.
The Iranian government has also refused to consider expanding the terms of the agreement, and has blamed the US for the delay in the negotiations.
Several Arab states in the Persian Gulf asked to be included in the discussions, and for any deal to address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and the Iranian government’s destabilizing behavior in the region.
A controversial bill making its way through Iran’s parliament which could increase online censorship and restrict internet access in the country was approved in a closed session on Wednesday.
If passed, the draft legislation would require all social networking and messaging corporations to appoint an Iranian representative to oversee compliance with vetting rules.
The law also requires companies operating social networking sites to register their subscribers and share those details with Iranian authorities if asked to do so.
And Iranian athletes took the spotlight at the Olympics this week, with several wins across a range of sports. Taekwondo champion Kimia Alizadeh, who is a member of the Olympic refugee team, beat fellow Iranian and former teammate Nahid Kiayani, taking her through to the semi finals.
Meanwhile, Saeed Mollaei, who defected from Iran to Mongolia after government officials forced him to lose at a World Cup tournament on purpose to avoid fighting an Israeli opponent in the final, won a silver medal in Judo.
