The Latest from Iran (23 January): Back to the Domestic

1745 GMT: Where's Ali? Today the Supreme Leader paid surprise visits to the families of two assassinated Iranian scientists, Masoud Alimohammadi and Majid Shahriari.

1735 GMT: The Nuke Talks. Teymoor Nabili at Al Jazeera English picks up on our analysis, posted in a separate entry, of the key reason for failure at the Istanbul discussions on uranium enrichment and how it was missed by the US media.

1710 GMT: Economy Watch. The conservative Aftab News again raises the uncomfortable question of why the Government has not published data on jobs, economic growth, and production since the 2009 Presidential election.

And there was a bit more discomfort at a meeting of Government creditors over more than $7 billion owed in the power sector and for provision of welfare.

1625 GMT: Economy Watch. Ali Dehghani, the Secretary of the Labor House in Yazd Province, has told ILNA, "Most manufacturing units of the textile factories in the province, are having to shut down or reduce production and are having difficulties in paying the remaining workers."

1510 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. ISNA carries a summary of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani's latest statement, made to a student group.

Observers are taking away the message that Rafsanjani stands by his Tehran Friday Prayer --- the last one he gave --- in July 2009, in which he challenged the post-election approach of the regime, especially in its repression of moderate opinion. I am not so sure Rafsanjani made such a definite declaration.

1325 GMT: A Cleric Warns. Moulana Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday Prayer leader in Zahedan in southeastern Iran, has declared that the Tunisian revolution proved a government cannot be secured with armed forces.

1245 GMT: Diplomatic Service. President Ahmadinejad has formally nominated Ali Akhbar Salehi as Foreign Minister.

Salehi has served as Acting Foreign Minister since the sudden dismissal of Manouchehr Mottaki in early December.

1240 GMT: Subsidy Cuts Watch. Peyke Iran claims that many of Iran's brick factories are closing because of increases in fuel prices.

1050 GMT: Clerical Dispute. Another volley has been fired in the running battle over control of Qom's seminaries.

Senior clerics in Iran's holy city have been agitated that the regime might try to take control of the seminaries. One of the key reasons for the Supreme Leader's trip to Qom in October, as well as following quick journeys to the city, was to work out a settlement of the issue.

There has been an uneasy truce since then, but now Hojetoleslam Alamolhoda, the Friday Prayer leader in Mashhad and a member of the Assembly of Experts, has declared that the "resistance" of Qom religious seminaries against Khamenei, persisting despite the Supreme Leader's trips, is "dangerous"

0950 GMT: Ahmadinejad on the Nuke Talks. The section of the President's speech in Rasht in northwest Iran(see 0715 GMT) on the nuclear issue has now been summarised by state media, and the comments are very mild. Indeed, Ahmadinejad's emphasis is on continued negotiations.

The President said those negotiations "should be based on justice and respect", recognising Iran's rights. He continued, "We never did expect that the issues be resolved within 2-3 sessions," and asserted that if the 5+1 is "committed to justice and respect for the law", there is hope for "good results".

0845 GMT: Mazandaran University student activist Houman Nemati has been arrested.

0810 GMT: MediaFail. Someone really needs to have a word with Press TV....

The official outlet proclaims, "Tehran has been nominated for the 2011 Sustainable Transport Award due to rapid improvement of its public transportation system," noting that the city will be competing with China's Guangzhou, the Spanish city of Leon, the Peruvian capital of Lima, and the French city of Nantes for Monday's award from the US-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.

It then enthuses, "Tehran's Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has been invited to Washington to attend the award giving ceremony."

True, but no one at Press TV seems to have noticed that Qalibaf has been denied an exit visa by the Iranian Foreign Ministry (see Friday and Saturday updates) to attend.

0750 GMT: Sanctions Watch. A different kind of sanctions story by Farshid Alyan, who sees a clue to economic downturn above and alongside Tehran's motorways:

Only a few years ago, billboards across the city advertised Swiss watches and other luxury goods from Europe and beyond. It was all part of a drive by the mayor's office in the early 1990s to earn revenues from the newly-allowed import market, and also to brighten the city up after the gloom of the eight-year war with Iraq.

These days, much of the advertising space along major thoroughfares is empty.

0735 GMT: Economic Challenge. Here is why the President may be playing up economic success this morning rather than talking nukes....

Hassan Rohani, the head of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council, has announced that more than 30% of Iran's youth are unemployed and the growth in Gross National Product is 2.5% rather than the target of 8% set by the Expediency Council and Supreme Leader.

Rohani, an ally of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, added that Iran's politicians "should be realistic". 

0715 GMT: So the two days of nuclear talks in Istanbul between Iran and the 5+1 Powers have ended with no apparent advance on the issue of uranium enrichment. 

Iranian officials are downplaying any notion of heightened conflict. Saeed Jalili, the head of Tehran's delegation in Istanbul,  said, "We are ready for more talks. We have always urged the other side to return to the talks. We think the time is always right for talks and cooperation, in light of our pure logic and good potential as well as our proposals." 

And even though no future discussions were scheduled, US officials were emphasising the diplomatic track, saying, “This will be a real test of our patience and resolve.” The New York Times summarised: "Western officials expressed disappointment, but not surprise. They reiterated that their proposals, including a modified deal under which Iran would ship out most of its enriched uranium in return for nuclear fuel, were still in effect should Iran choose to open talks without preconditions."

So what's next?

Well, what's next --- as has usually been the case since June 2009 --- are domestic issues in which "nuclear" is little more than a pawn for moves on other fronts. Today President Ahmadinejad is continuing his tour of Iran's province with a visit to Gilan in the northwest.

Reports of the President's speech put out a non-nuclear line: "The people of Gilan are always at the forefront of protecting the independence and dignity of the country." Ahmadinejad's emphasis was on cultural and economic decisions --- remember, he is in a protracted battle with Parliament over the 5-Year Plan for 2010-2015 as well as in pursuit of subsidy cuts --- for the province.