The Latest from Iran (28 November): The Bank Fraud Expands

The celebration that led to lengthy suspension for two members of Iran's national football team (see 0835 GMT)

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2148 GMT: Explosion Watch. An EA correspondent does some checking on the claimed location of today's blast in Isfahan (see 2020 GMT). Not only is it near the Military Academy, but it is just to the east of Darvazeh Shiraz (Shiraz city gate) is the Sepah Badr airbase.

Fars resurfaces, after dropping its original story to report --- from ISNA --- that the head of Isfahan's judiciary heard the sound of an explosion but got no information from officials.

And Tabnak has the latest rationale from Deputy Governor Mohammadi Mehdi Esmaili: "Perhaps a water boiler exploded."

2145 GMT: Sanctions Watch. A Foreign Ministry official has confirmed that Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi's trip to the Netherlands for a chemical weapons conference was cancelled because Hungary denied an overflight (see 1230 GMT). The official demanded an explanation from Budapest.

2135 GMT: Foreign Affairs (Turkish Front). Ahmad Reza Radan, the Deputy Commander of Iran's police, has decided to do his bit for Iranian-Turkish relations. Declaring that those who want to hurt the Revolution are idiots, he said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a "false Muslim" who was "trained by Zionists".

2130 GMT: Bank Fraud Watch. Iran Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei has said that Mohammad Jahromi, the former head of Bank Saderat, has been found guilty in the $2.6 billion bank fraud.

2120 GMT: Containing the President's Men. President Ahmadinejad did not reply today to a question about his senior aide Ali Akbar Javanfekr, sentenced to a year in prison despite Ahmadinejad's warning not to cross "red lines" in prosecution of his Cabinet and advisors; however, he has announced a press conference.

Iran Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei is not letting up, however. He said last night that Javanfekr has 10 days to answer new charges about spreading lies and rumours.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad's right-hand man Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai has lost a bit of his influence. He has been removed as head of the Government's Cultural Commission, replaced by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini.

2115 GMT: All-is-Well Picture of Day. Not sure if this is for appearances, or if it will last, but President Ahmadinejad and the Larijanis --- Speaker of Parliament and head of judiciary --- seem to be enjoying each other's company after their meeting today:

2105 GMT: Timing Counts. In light of this afternoon's events, this comment from Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi seems particularly pertinet: "Security concerns will challenge the next Parliamentary elections. We must keep country in an offensive position."

And then there is this from the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, "We are revising our defense strategy. The new one is 'threat against threat'."

2100 GMT: Non-News of the Day. Catching up with other developments, we first note the non-news....

Reports yesterday indicated that Minister of Economy Shamseddin Hosseini would face interrogation and possible impeachment in Parliament today, but so far there has not been any evidence that the minister faced the legislators.

2020 GMT: Explosion Watch. The news of the Isfahan blast has evaporated from Fars, which broke the story. State news agency IRNA has broken its silence to run the assurance of the Deputy Governor of Isfahan Province that the "report was completely baseless and fabricated". Press TV recycles IRNA's news.

Another website, Farhange Ashti, says the blast was near the Military Academy. Mardomak also gives that location, near Darvazeh Shiraz (the Shiraz city gate).

1946 GMT: James Miller takes the blog while Scott Lucas is unavailable, and the obvious news is about the explosion in Isfahan.

The Washington Post has published before and after pictures of the Malard base of the Revolutionary Guards, reportedly key in missile development, where a large explosion took place on 12 November. The extent of the damage is obvious, and widespread, as multiple buildings are clearly heavily damaged and a large debris field is apparent:

After the blast:

Before the blast:

So while we're following today's news, a blast in Isfahan, news agencies and politicians worldwide are speculating that these explosions, as well as several other industrial accidents, are somehow connected, either the acts of saboteurs, or outside attacks.

1720 GMT: Explosion Watch. Fars has pulled its article --- here is a screenshot --- of the large explosion in Isfahan. Bloggers have claimed the photograph used to illustrate the original story, whether or not it was intended to represent today's event, is actually of an October grenade attack in Kashmir.

Fars' withdrawal of the story was foreshadowed by Mehr, which --- quoting the Deputy Provincial Governor --- claimed that there was no explosion this afternoon. There is yet another variant on Raja News, which has the Provincial Governor saying that the explosion was part of a military "training exercise".

However, Shafaf and Alef (see 1620 GMT) still carry the original Fars story.

Israel's Channel 10 has been claiming that the explosion was at a Shahab-4 missile site.

1620 GMT: Back from an academic break to find this report from Fars....

The sound of a large explosion was heard this afternoon in Isfahan. The Fire and Disaster Management Office have confirmed the news, but provincial authorities have given no details.

Other websites such as Shafaf, reportedly linked to Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, and Alef, linked to MP Ahmad Tavakoli, are carrying the Fars report word-for-word, but there is no coverage on the website of State news agency IRNA.

1245 GMT: CyberWatch. Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi has discovered that a regime is filtering Facebook and Twitter and reducing Internet speed --- according to him, it is located in Washington, not Tehran.

1235 GMT: Foreign Affairs (European Front). Parliament's resolution to downgrade relations with Britain --- a step approved by the Guardian Council today --- opens the door for a barrage of anti-European criticism in the Iranian media. Asking how the British Embassy differs from the "spy nest" of the US Embassy in the 1970s, Fars demands the removal of the British, French, and German "espionage houses".

1230 GMT: Sanctions Watch. Looks like sanctions have taken a toll on Iran's highest officials, or at least caused a niggle --- Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has reportedly been forced to cancel a trip to the Netherlands because Hungary refused to allow an overflight.

0917 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The wife of imprisoned labour activist Ali Nejati has been arrested.

0915 GMT: Policing TV. Actress Sahar Qoreishi has been banned from appearing on State broadcaster IRIB. No reason has been given.

0905 GMT: Addressing the Supreme Leader. In his 12th letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, filmmaker Mohammad Reza Nourizad --- who was imprisoned for 17 months for the "crime" of writing the Supreme Leader --- has declared:

From the inception of the Revolution, particularly from the start of your Supreme Leadership, you based our glory on enmity with the United States of America.

You placed so much importance on our enmity with the United States, as though, our existence would only be meaningful if we continued our hostility towards the U.S., and our death would come from friendship with the U.S.

I wished we were as honest with our anti-American contentions as we were with our years of denying the truth about ourselves.

I wished, parallel to teaching our people the “Death to America” slogan, that we forced upon them like oxygen in their lungs, we would have strengthened the shaky foundations of our economy. Oh dear, time has gone by and we still have remained on the high tower of chanting slogans in our torn attire.

0855 GMT: Sanctions Watch. Germany is moving --- somewhat --- to join toughened sanctions against Iran.

After last week's moves by the US, Canada, Britain, and France, the German authorities have balked at a ban on links with the Iranian Central Bank but have approved France's ban on Bank Tejarat, named in the $2.6 billion bank fraud.

Perhaps more significantly, German Foreign Minister Westerwelle has expressed support for a European Union embargo on Iranian oil imports. France has already adopted the measure, and Italy indicated this weekend it may follow.

0845 GMT: Opposition Watch. Ahead of next week's National Student Day , the Coordinating Council for the Green Path of Hope has called on students to take the “initiative” to express “dissatisfaction” over Iran's situation: “The country’s students have always been, and will be, at the forefront of the struggle against tyranny and imperialism. Students have continuously been in the vanguard of the fight for freedom, and, of course, those in the frontlines of the struggle sustain most of the blows.”

The opposition council said that March's Parliamentary elections would “not be held freely" and Iran was beset by an “incompetent government, which has embroiled the country in a large financial crisis with its disorganised and disordered management; policies that have not only been proven futile in spreading justice, but have instead further deepened the gap between the rich and the poor; international sanctions and threats which have been brought about by senseless and adventurous [government] policies".

And what can be done. The Council declared, “If the current atmosphere of repression...is an obstacle in the way of the student organisations’ unhindered activity, small groups with goals and responsibilities can be formed [to reach a breakthrough]. If the police-state atmosphere at universities has left no place for meetings and protests, one can find new alternative ways for exchanging ideas and expressing collective discontent.”

0835 GMT: Red Card for Backside-Grabbing. Iran’s football federation has handed out long suspensions to two members of the Iranian national team for celebrating a goal in an "immoral" manner.

Persepolis defender Mohammad Nosrati was given a 10-month ban and his teammate Sheys Rezaei was given 20 months. Each was fined $30,000. Persepolis had already cut their salaries by 15%.

Nosrati grabbed Rezaei's backside while celebrating a goal in a televised match last month.

0745 GMT: Cartoon of the Day. Nikahang Kowsar is not convinced that all is well at the centre of Iranian politics:

0725 GMT: In a televised interview last night, Iran Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei said 126 people had been investigated over the $2.8 billion bank fraud shaking Iranian politics as well as the financial sector and economy.

Mohseni Ejei said 27 suspects remain in detention and another 50 have been indicted. Forty companies have been investigated, as well as 175 properties registered to an individual rather than a firm.  

The Prosecutor General also said the Government had confirmed that it gave 1700 hectares of land to the Aria Group, the company at the centre of the alleged embezzlement. He said he will arrest those in power, if necessary. In a possible jibe at President Ahmadinejad, he added that he will do so despite any pressure put on the judiciary.

Amidst the latest developments, Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani hosts a meeting with Ahmadinejad and the head of the judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, today.