The Latest from Iran (30 January): Tough Poses, Tough Actions

1108 GMT: Remember when Manoochehr Mottaki was let go of? Well, that's not the end of Ahmadinejad's interest in the Foreign Ministry. After Mottaki's departure, now the Ahmadinejad thinks there could be more done to improve the ministry's work. His official website states: 

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that the structure of the Iranian Foreign Ministry needed fundamental changes in order to meet the historical mission of the nation. The president made the remark this morning while he was in Majlis to introduce Ali-Akbar Salehi, his nominee for the post of Foreign Minister. 

He said Iran was presently in need of powerful, influential, systematic and principled foreign policy. Saying that much of the diplomatic literature now used in the world was manufactured by the hegemonic powers, Dr. Ahmadinejad stressed that such a literature should be totally eliminated. President Ahmadinejad went on to highlight the fact that foreign policy has been the biggest agenda of the Islamic Revolution in the country. 

He further focused on the characteristics of Salehi as his proposed foreign minister and made points about the upcoming ten-day celebrations to mark the 32nd victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

1033 GMT: A protest was held in Frankfurt, Germany in support of human rights in Iran yesterday. Here's the video: 

1025 GMT: Is Ahmadinejad really working for the poor?

Radio Javan today broadcasted an interview with a female worker from a textile factory in Ghayem Shahr. The woman complained of not receiving wages for nearly nine months and claimed that all the workers in her factory hadn't received their wages in that period. 

She was apparently very angry with the Deputy Minister of Industries who recently claimed that only the past 3 months' wages for the workers hadn't been paid yet. 

1020 GMT: This just in, Reuters' online website has been blocked in Iran. 

0850 GMT: Setting the Agenda. Amidst talk of a "new principlist" bloc, the Society of Teachers and Researchers of Qom and the Society of Combatant Clergy have put forth a 12-point charter for unity for conservatives. They include defense Islamic values and commitment of the Revolution to principles, respect for the authority of the clergy, belief in democratic freedoms, fighting corruption, and good governance.

MP Hassan Ghafourifard further explains that this is the minimum set of demands,

0845 GMT: One to Watch. Today the Parliament will discuss President Ahmadinejad's open letter criticising the interference of the Majlis, the judiciary, and the Expediency Council with his plans.

The "hard-line" newspaper Kayhan steps in with the claim that "infiltrators" were behind Ahmadinejad's letter and the last say on the Iranian system is with the Supreme Leader.

0840 GMT: Diplomatic Breakthrough. The Parliament has approved the permanent appointment of Ali Akbar Salehi as Foreign Minister.

Salehi has been in the post since early December, when Manouchehr Mottaki was suddenly dismissed.

0835 GMT: And Another Pose. Hossein Sobhaninia of Parliament's National Security Council says a plan to end relations with Britain has been sent to the Majlis and will probably be discussed before consideration of the 2011 Budget.

Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani was quoted in Iranian media on Saturday, “Iran is a powerful country and I believe some of the British politicians are confused about Iran and assume that they can exercise influence in Iran using their past methods.” However, Khabar Online, linked to Larijani, asserted that while the Speaker had received the opinions of different bodies, he believed it was up to Parliament to decide on cutting ties.

0800 GMT: As we move between the Egypt and Iran LiveBlogs, we are prompted to reflect on yesterday's news of the execution of Dutch-Iranian national Zahra Bahrami and the detention of Hossein Karroubi, the son of the opposition figure Mehdi Karroubi: "Tehran's Lesson for Egypt --- The Intimidation Can Never Stop".

On the international front, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad helps us with our analysis through the Saturday statement put out on his website, "[Iran's enemies are] moving in an unreal and fabricated atmosphere, whose result is not and will not be anything but dead end.” And so does Tehran's military, which says it will have new missiles to display in early February.

But a countering message comes from this demonstration in Herat in western Afghanistan, protesting the escalation of executions in Iran: