Iran Explosion

ByABC News
February 16, 2005, 11:42 AM

Feb. 16, 2005 --

Iranian TV Reports Explosion Near Deylam

Iranian state television reported Wednesday that an explosion near the southwestern town of Deylam, about 110 miles from a nuclear facility, may have been caused by a fuel tank dropping from an Iranian plane. A government spokesman said the blast may have been caused by friendly fire. (AP)

Iran, Syria 'Form Common Front'
Iran and Syria say they are to form a common front to face challenges and threats from overseas. (BBC)

Iran: U.S. Spy Drones Fly Over Nuke Sites
Iran's intelligence chief on Wednesday accused the United States of flying spy drones over its nuclear sites and threatened to shoot down the unmanned surveillance crafts. (AP)

IAEA Head Disputes Claims on Iran Arms
The head of the U.N. agency responsible for investigating Iran's nuclear program said Tuesday that there had been no discoveries in the last six months to substantiate claims that the Islamic state is secretly working toward building a nuclear bomb. (Washington Post)

U.S. Recalls Ambassador From Syria

Lebanese mourned their slain ex-premier yesterday with noisy street processions while the shocked country's government came under mounting internal and international pressure to bring Rafik Hariri's assassins to justice. (Arab News)

U.S. Freezes Assets of Kuwaiti Linked to Al Qaeda
The U.S. government on Tuesday ordered banks to freeze any assets of a Kuwaiti man U.S. authorities believe is a senior al Qaeda operative. (Reuters)

Judges Order 2 Reporters to Testify on Leak
Journalists at the New York Times and Time magazine may be jailed if they continue to refuse to answer questions regarding the leak of a covert CIA officer's identity, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. (Washington Post)

C.I.A. Is Seen as Seeking New Role on Detainees
The Central Intelligence Agency is seeking to scale back its role as interrogator and custodian of terrorist leaders who are being held without charges in secret sites around the world, current and former intelligence officials said. (NY Times)

Yemen Arrests Five Al Qaeda Suspects

Yemeni security forces have detained five people, including a woman, suspected of belonging to al Qaeda and plotting attacks on embassies and Western targets in the country, security sources said. (AFP)