Iran

U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos of the Southern District of New York is considering whether to dismiss a private defamation lawsuit against an Iran sanctions group on national security grounds. During oral argument today, both the plaintiff's lawyer and U.S. Attorney Michael Byars said there has been no other cases in which the government has been able to assert the state secrets privilege without giving reason, Reuters' Emily Flitter reports. Ramos has been asked to dismiss the lawsuit without the government disclosing how national security is implicated in a lawsuit "by Greek businessman Victor Restis against a non-profit group for defamation. The group, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), accused him of illegally exporting oil from Iran."

New York Times reporter James Risen has asked the Fourth Circuit to put on hold its ruling denying that a reporters privilege applies in a criminal case in which he could be forced to testify, Politico reports. Meanwhile, Risen will seek for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the issue.

The underlying criminal case involves former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who "has been indicted for leaking Risen information about a CIA operation to provide Iran with flawed nuclear designs as part of an effort to set back that country's alleged nuclear weapons program," according to Politico.

Risen has vowed to go to jail before revealing who his source was.