News and views relevant to U.S.-Iran relations for September 4 – 7.

• ABC News: Iran was a hot topic of conversation on ABC’s Sunday talk show, “This Week with Christiane Amanpour” . In addition to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s restating that bombing the Islamic Republic is not to be ruled out (picked up from “This Week” in the Wall Street Journal), there was a back-and-forth between New York Times columnists Tom Friedman and Paul Krugman, Washington Post columnist George Will and Post editor Mary Jordan. Friedman alleged a “natural Sunni-Israel alliance.” Jordan noted people in the U.S. are “war-weary”, and although “all options are on the table,” war against Iran is the last option. Will said while Israel hopes it has a partner in attacking Iran (the U.S.),  they will go it alone because “the Israelis are not going to wait on regime change to save them from a nuclear weapon.”

• The Sunday Times (via Fox News): The Sunday Times reports that five Iranian companies in Kabul are providing cash for the Taliban and bonuses for killing Americans.  An anonymous Afghan intelligence officer and Taliban sources tell the Times that Iranian companies win reconstruction contracts, often funded through foreign aid,  and then use the money to support the Taliban.  MSNBC, Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin, and the Weekly Standard’s Thomas Jocelyn also picked up The Sunday Times story.

• The Associated Press: The AP reports on comments made Sunday by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which he warned that an Israeli attack, “…means the annihilation of the Zionist entity.” Ahmadinejad, who delivered the remarks in Qatar, sought to reassure neighboring Arab states, many of which host bases for U.S. forces, that he would not target them should a conflict break out between western states and Iran. During his visit, Ahmadinejad also called for reconciliation and greater cooperation between Shiite-dominated Iran and other, largely Sunni dominated, Gulf states.