Talks between Iranian authorities and U.N. nuclear agency officials have started in Vienna, as a major U.S. newspaper reports that Iran has repeatedly violated maritime law in a bid to sidestep international sanctions imposed due to its controversial nuclear program. International Atomic Energy Agency officials are expected to press Iran for access to the Parchin military site near Tehran during their two days of talks. Iran has not yet granted U.N. requests to visit the facility, where officials suspect Iran has built a container for explosives tests. Western diplomats say they suspect Iran is buying time to remove any incriminating evidence before they allow U.N. inspectors inside the facility. Talks between Tehran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany are set for May 23 in Baghdad. The six world powers, known as the P5+1, are seeking to assess the possible military capability of Iran’s nuclear sites.   The Washington Post quotes unnamed U.S. officials Monday saying Iran has been routinely switching off satellite tracking systems on its sea-bound oil tankers since early April. The newspaper also reports that the Iranian practice – a violation maritime law – is being closely monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Switching off the tracking system has only been modestly effective in hiding the massive tankers. Iran relies on oil exports for the majority of its foreign currency earnings.  U.S. officials say the sanctions are drastically hurting Iran’s economy, and the value of Iran’s currency has dropped sharply. Western powers suspect Iran is developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies. Iran and the six world powers resumed talks on the dispute last month in Istanbul after a more than year-long stalemate. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Join the conversation on our social journalism site – Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page.

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At least seven were killed in anti-government related unrest across Syria on Saturday, as a shadowy militant group claimed responsibility for Thursday’s deadly twin attacks in Damascus. The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government shelling and security force raids left at least three civilians dead. The government says four security force members, including a colonel, were killed near Damascus. It blamed “armed terrorists” for the attacks. March for blast victim Dima Farah Meanwhile, a video posted online says the al-Nusra Front militant group is responsible for the twin bombings in the capital that killed at least 55 people. Middle East analyst M.J. Gohel says the group recently began gaining prominence. “This is a group that not a great deal is known about it,” said Gohel.  “It emerged at the beginning of this year in January and it has a global Jihadist agenda and it calls its fighters Mujahadeen in the same way as the Taliban fighters.” Gohel, the head of the London-Based Asia-Pacific Foundation, says the group’s strengths and capabilities are unclear. “This could be just a propaganda small group,” Gohel added.  “It is not known what kind of ground capable operational capability it has. All we know is that it has made all kinds of claims.” Syria’s state-run SANA news agency says Prime Minister Adel Safar visited the blast sites, Saturday, and wounded victims at a local hospital. He condemned the attack as a “heinous act” with “no relation to any human values.” The unrest took place as U.N. observers continued to fan out across Syria to monitor the government and the opposition’s compliance to a cease-fire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan. On Saturday, the monitors received 24 armored vehicles that were donated by the European Union. EU ambassador to Syria Vassilis Bontosoglou said the vehicles show the EU’s support of Annan’s mission. “This is an expression of commitment of the European Union to the Kofi Annan plan,” said Bontosoglou. The U.N. says more than 9,000 people have been killed in violence related to the anti-government uprising which erupted in March 2011. Also Saturday, Turkish officials say two journalists who went missing in Syria in March have been freed as a result of Iranian mediation. Officials say the two men have been flown to Tehran.

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Syrians braced for mass protests on Friday, a day after at least 55 people were killed in twin bombings that marked the deadliest attack since the start of the anti-government uprising 14 months ago. The car bomb explosions in Damascus Thursday were among a string of attacks that have occurred since U.N. observers arrived in Syria to monitor a shaky cease-fire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan in April. Friday, the government urged the U.N. Security Council to take action to combat terrorism, in the wake Thursday’s blasts. State media said the government made the plea in letters to the Security Council and U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.  It said “escalating crimes” were proof that Syria is facing terrorist attacks led by groups receiving foreign support. U.N. observers toured Damascus on Friday.  Observer mission spokesman Neeraj Singh said the number of international monitors and staff members taking part in the mission had grown to 150. “You have the world coming together, the world community coming together to be with the people of Syria to see in what way we can help.  The most important thing being that violence in all its forms has to stop,” Singh said. The head of Syria’s main opposition group said al-Qaida-linked forces with ties to the Syrian government were responsible for Thursday’s blasts. Kofi Annan’s Six-Point Peace Plan A Syrian-led political process to address the aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people. A U.N. supervised end to armed violence by all parties in Syria. Timely humanitarian assistance in all areas affected by fighting. Increasing the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained people. Ensuring freedom of movement for journalists. Respecting freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully. At a Friday news conference in Tokyo, Burhan Ghalioun said the government was trying to sabotage the peace plan brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts, which further shredded the April 12 cease-fire declared by Annan. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters U.S. intelligence indicates “an al-Qaida presence in Syria,” but said the extent of its activity is unclear. The United Nations says more than 9,000 people have been killed in violence related to the anti-government uprising which erupted in March 2011. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Join the conversation on our social journalism site – Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page.

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