IRAN
 
Iran Passes Short-Term Budget Amid Bleak Outlook
 
Iran’s Guardian Council this month approved the three-month budget after requesting amendments from the Iranian parliament to include an expenditure allocation for the June 2013 presidential elections. But the outlook for the new year 1392 starting on 21 March 2013 is gloomy, given the political and economic uncertainties ahead, according to Iranian observers.
 
The short-term budget authorizes the...