Protest Over anti-Islam Video Spreads to Tehran

Protesters in Tehran have gathered in front of the Swiss Embassy, which handles the U.S. interests in Iran, to voice their displeasure with a contentious video denigrating the Prophet Mohammad. Mobs are also burning the U.S. flags in front of the building and chanting “Death to America.” The police are on the scene preventing the protesters to storm the building. The Swiss had evacuated the embassy compound earlier today in anticipation of such protests.

The protests in the Muslim world began on Tuesday in Cairo and then spread to Libya where attackers in Benghazi set the U.S. consulate building ablaze and assassinated Chris Stevens, the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, and three consulate officers. Ten Libyans were also killed defending the U.S. consulate building.

Today protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen and have gathered again in front of the embassy building in Cairo.

UPDATE: The protest in front of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran ended on Thursday afternoon. There were no reports of casualties or damage to the embassy building. 

Photo credit: Protesters in front of Swiss Embassy in Tehran. 13 September 2012. (Fars News Agency/Hossein Zohrevand)

Swiss Sign Billion-Dollar Gas Deal with Iran

Swiss energy trading company EGL said today it signed a multi-billion dollar contract to buy natural gas from Iran over the next 25 years.

Iran’s state-owned National Iranian Gas Export Company will supply EGL with up to 5.5 billion cubic meters of gas a year, which the Swiss company will then sell on to European customers.