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Jason Dasey and John Wilkinson discuss Son Heung-Min and Ki Sung-Yeung's call-ups for South Korea and their race to be fit. Jason Dasey and PJ Roberts break down Thailand's resilient 1-1 draw with the UAE in World Cup Qualifying.

Manchester United legend Park Ji-Sung has called upon South Korea fans to get behind their team against a "European" Iran in a vital 2018 AFC World Cup qualifier in Seoul on Aug. 31.

Coach Shin Tae-Yong called up English Premier League stars Son Heung-Min and Ki Sung-Yeung in his first squad on Monday. Games in the K-League have been cancelled on the weekend of Aug. 27 and 28 to give Shin more time with his players.

While Iran have already booked their spot in next year's tournament as they sit seven points clear at the top of Group A, the Koreans' grip on the second automatic qualification spot is tenuous.

Victory at Seoul World Cup Stadium will see Korea book a place at a ninth successive World Cup if Uzbekistan, a point behind in third, lose in China.

Otherwise, the Taeguk Warriors will travel to Uzbekistan for the final group game on Sep. 5, needing a result.

"In this situation, the players will feel heavy pressure," Park, who retired from the national team in 2011 after 100 appearances, told the Korea Football Association's official homepage on Thursday.

"But if they're national team players, they need to overcome the pressure and show their abilities."

A big crowd is expected in the capital for the visit of Iran. Fans have been disappointed by the team's performances of late. South Korea have lost three of the last four qualifiers.

Coach Shin, who led Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma to the 2010 AFC Champions League title, was appointed in July after the sacking of Uli Stielike.

"Football fans can criticise the national team, considering the results and performances that it showed, and the players are not free from this situation," Park added.

"However, I hope fans can cheer for our national team, and give them support at least in those two matches."

The Koreans have a poor record against Iran of late, losing their last four meetings. Park scored home and away against Team Melli in qualification for the 2010 World Cup, and acknowledged that the visitors are formidable opposition.

"Iran is in Asia, but the players' physiques are more like Europeans," the four-time English Premier League champion said. "They play rough and powerful football, so that's why opponents have a hard time."

Only the top two from the group progress automatically to the 2018 World Cup, with third place having to negotiate a play-off route.

John Duerden covers Asian football for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter: @JohnnyDuerden.

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South Korea to feel pressure vs. 'European' Iran - Park Ji-Sung - ESPN FC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iranian authorities have denied the appeal of a Princeton University student who had been convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison, the university and his wife said on Thursday.

Xiyue Wang, a history doctoral student and U.S. citizen who was conducting dissertation research in Iran in 2016 when he was detained by Iranian authorities, was accused by Iran of "spying under the cover of research," a claim his family and university deny.

"Iranian authorities have denied Xiyue Wang's appeal of his conviction and 10-year prison sentence for espionage that he did not attempt or commit," Princeton University said in a statement. "We are distressed that his appeal was denied, and that he remains unjustly imprisoned."

It was not immediately clear when exactly Wang's appeal was denied. News of his detention in Iran and his 10-year sentence first came in mid-July.

"I am devastated that my husband's appeal has been denied, and that he continues to be unjustly imprisoned in Iran on groundless accusations of espionage and collaboration with a hostile government against the Iranian state," Wang's wife, Hua Qu, said in a statement on Princeton's website. "Our young son and I have not seen Xiyue in more than a year, and we miss him very much."

Iran had said Wang was an American spy.

Qu said she worries about Wang's health and well-being while he is in prison.

"We hope the Iranian officials can release him immediately so he can resume his studies at home and so that our family will be together again," she said.

A spokesman for Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A State Department official declined to offer specific information on Wang's case, citing privacy concerns.

"We call for the immediate release of all U.S. citizens unjustly detained in Iran so they can return to their families," the official said.

President Donald Trump has taken a hard line against Iran and his administration has vowed to counter what it sees as Iran's destabilizing policies in the Middle East.

Last month, the White House said Trump "is prepared to impose new and serious consequences on Iran unless all unjustly imprisoned American citizens are released and returned," though it did not specify what those consequences might be.

Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Phil Berlowitz

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Iran denies appeal of jailed Princeton student: university - Reuters

WASHINGTON Former Sen. Mark Kirk R-Ill., a strong foe of the Iran nuclear deal, will be honored Aug. 27 by an Illinois based pro-Israel PAC and next month will be speaking to a group in New York, United Against Nuclear Iran.

Until now, Kirk has kept a relatively low profile since his November defeat by Sen. Tammy Duckworth D-Ill.

Kirk will be honored at a fundraiser Protect Our Heritage PAC, at the Northbrook Hilton, with the keynote speaker Gil Hoffman, the chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post and a Chicago native.

The PAC has been a Kirk supporter for years.

There are many events that occur at the same time the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York takes place, and Kirk will appear at one of them, a forum hosted by United Against Nuclear Iran to examine the political and economic environment since the deal, a legacy item of former President Barack Obama, signed in 2015.

Others appearing at the day long forum include retired Gen. David Petraeus, former Gov. Jeb Bush, former Gov. Bill Richardson and former Ambassador Dennis Ross.

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Former Sen. Mark Kirk to appear at Iran nuclear deal forum in NYC - Chicago Sun-Times

Syria is hosting its first international trade fair in five years, a sign of increased stability in the embattled nations capital and a statement of victory from the government, which has been embroiled in awar with armed opposition groups and jihadists since 2011.

Despite ongoing violence between the Syrianarmy and insurgentsin the citys suburbs, the 59th Damascus International Fair was set to commence Thursday, claiming to host representatives of 23 nations and companies from 20 more. Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis, who was appointed last year by President Bashar al-Assad, said the event marked a major turning point for the country and that nations such as Russia and Iran, which supported Assad and his army throughout the war, would be given priority in securing trade deals to invest in Syria, according to state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Related: Russia and Syria target ISIS territory as big as two U.S. states

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We must be partners of the Syrian Arab Army in victory and establishing the best future for our people andfuture generations, Khamis said Wednesday in a press statement, accordingto SANA. For this, we have made a commitment to introduce an exceptional international exhibition worthy of our country, history, culture and love for life and peace."

Preparations for the Damascus International Fair in the countryside of the Syrian capital, on August 10. The fair will reportedly host 43 nations directly or indirectly and is the first such event to take place in five years in the war-torn country. LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images

The list of nations involved either directly or through businesses included traditionally pro-opposition countries such as France, Germany and Spain in the West as well as Bahrain, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, but made no mention of the U.S. Washington, along with a number of governments reportedly represented at the fair, have accused Assad and his government of perpetrating human rights abuses and potential war crimes. As a result, Syria has been the subject of numerous economic sanctions, but a number of international actors have either continued to strike deals with the Syrian government or have renewed relations as its prospects improved in the conflict.

In addition to Russia and Iran, countries like Belarus, China, the Czech Republic, India and Japan have also invested in Syria in recent years, according to The Times. Talk of rebuilding Syrias devastated infrastructure has increasingly surfaced, as the countrysarmed forces and their allies, including pro-government militias, retake territory nationwide from rebels and jihadists, especially the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), This years trade fair marks the first time since 1954 that visiting countries will be permitted to sell their products.

Assad is trying to project confidence and a business-as-usual attitude, Sami Nader, head of the Beirut-based Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, told Bloomberg News. The trade fair is sending a message that the new era of Syrias reconstruction has begun and Assad is here to stay.

Smoke billows following a reported air strike by Syrian government forces in the rebel-held parts of the Jobar district, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on August 9. Parts of the Syrian capital remain under rebel control and continue to see fierce fighting between Syrias armed forces and insurgents. AMMAR SULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

Coinciding with the fairs opening, Khamis met with Lebanese Minister of IndustryHussein al-Hajj Hassan to discuss greater economic ties between the neighboring countries. The meeting also included Syrian Minister of Industry Ahmed Al-Hamo,Secretary General of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council Nassri Al-Khouri and Director of Relations in the Council Ahmad Al-Haj Hassan. After discussions, the Lebanese minister called the Damascus International Fair evidence of Syrias political, economic, military and security recovery, according to Lebanon 24. The Syrian and Lebanese armies are both involved in operations to clear ISIS from their mutual border but receive backing from opposing international powers and maintain no formal alliance.

Despite heightened tensions between U.S.-backed forces in Syria and those supported by Russia and Iranin recent months, Washington and Moscow established a ceasefire between the Syrian militaryand rebels battling in the countrys southwest in July. The lull in fighting has allowed both pro-government forces and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a mostly Kurdish coalition of Arabs and ethnic minorities, to concentrate on dismantling the remains of ISISs self-proclaimed caliphate. U.S. officials, however, have remained deeply critical of Assad even after pledging closer cooperation with Russia, and have called for his eventual removal from power.

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Russia, Iran, Other Assad Allies and Enemies Cash In on Success in Syria, But US Left Out - Newsweek

ANKARA Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi called off his hunger strike on Thursday after authorities accepted one of his demands and withdrew security agents from his home where he has been held since 2011, his website said.

ANKARA Turkey and Iran have agreed to boost military cooperation after talks in Ankara this week between the Iranian armed forces chief of staff and Turkish leaders, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Thursday.

LONDON Mehdi Karroubi, a detained Iranian opposition leader, started a hunger strike on Wednesday and wants to be out on trial rather than remain under house arrest where he has been held since 2011, his son told Reuters.

ANKARA Turkish and Iranian military leaders held talks on Wednesday over cooperation in the Syrian conflict and counter-terrorism, officials said, during a rare visit to NATO-member Turkey by the Islamic Republic's military chief of staff.

DUBAI Iran could abandon its nuclear agreement with world powers "within hours" if the United States imposes any more new sanctions, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday.

JERUSALEM An Israeli television report said on Tuesday that Iran is building a facility in northwest Syria to manufacture long-range rockets, and showed satellite images it said were of the site under construction.

BAGHDAD The governor of the oil city of Basra has stepped down and gone to Iran after Iraq's anti-corruption body began investigating graft allegations against him, people close to him and officials said on Tuesday.

DUBAI More than 150 Iranian current and former BBC staff and contributors have been barred from major financial transactions in Iran, an Iranian court order seen by Reuters showed, in a fresh step against foreign media seen as hostile to Tehran.

LONDON/DUBAI Islamic State is seeking to radicalize disaffected ethnic minorities in majority Shi'ite Iran to encourage attacks intended to avenge Tehran's offensive against the group across the Middle East.

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Iran | Reuters.com