Iran Live Coverage: Another Challenge to Ahmadinejad

See also Wednesday's Iran Live Coverage: Interpreting the Supreme Leader on the US and Israel

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Ali Larijani & President Ahmadinejad1357 GMT: Oil Watch. Japan’s crude imports from Iran rose sharply in Feburary, reaching their highest level since March 2012.

Imports last month were about 321,000 barrels a day, up 67% from January.

Analysts said, however, that refiners have reduced their imports on a yearly basis --- thus, one month's increase is unlike to jeopardize Japan’s waiver from US sanctions.

Japan’s purchases from Iran last year declined 39%.

1353 GMT: Election Watch. Yet another warning of sedition in June's Presidential elections, possibly aimed at the Ahmadinejad camp --- Hossein Taghavi-Hosseini, the spokesman of Parliament's National Security Commission, has said the "deviant current" is pursuing "anti-security" activities.

1348 GMT: Economy Watch. Iraj Nadimi, a member of Parliament's Economy Commission, has warned that if inflation and current difficulties continue, the Iranian economy "will be paralysed".

1340 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Back from an academic break to find former President Hashemi Rafsanjani jabbing at the Supreme Leader's declaration of a "Year of Political and Econonmic Epic": "The realisation of the slogan for the New Year requires the use of political, economic, and management skills."

0855 GMT: Larijanis v. Ahmadinejad. Joanna Paraszczuk has more on our opening entry....

The Larijani brothers --- Speaker of Parliament Ali and judiciary chief Sadegh --- have both issued veiled warnings to President Ahmadinejad ahead of June Presidential elections: Don't Attempt to "Sabotage" Them.

Speaking at a military gathering Wednesday, Ali Larijani said that the election must be held properly. He said. to "those who wish to undermine the elections", that the enemy was hoping they would succeed: "This noise happens in Iran before every election," as a "set of individuals" start to talk.

Larijani added that "individuals" who "violated privacy" were "godless" and insulted the Iranian nation by violating the dignity of others.

Meanwhile, Sadegh Larijani noted that "the law does not permit any attempts to mislead the authorities running the elections".

"I hope that some people do not think that they can repeated the error of 2009 and turn a formal and public protests against the election results into illegal street protests," he added.

The Tabnak news site, close to Presidential candidate --- and Ahmadinejad rival --- Mohsen Rezaei also commented on Sadegh Larijani's warnings to the President.

0745 GMT: Concern of the Day. The Supreme Leader's office, using Twitter and Facebook, is worried enough to post this extract from Ayatollah Khamenei's speech last Thursday:

Everybody should accept the rule of law, be it elections or anything else. The events of the year 2009 --- which inflicted losses on the country --- took place because certain people decided not to accept the law. They decided not to accept the votes of the people.

For example, the people might vote against what I want, but I must accept their vote. Everybody must accept what the majority of the people vote for.

Fortunately, the necessary legal mechanisms exist for eliminating problems, rectifying mistakes and dispelling suspicions. It is necessary to use these legal channels. When what has happened goes against what we want, it is an irreversible mistake to call on the people to protest in the streets, and this was what happened in the year 2009. This was an experience for our nation, and our nation will always stand up against such event.

Are Ayatollah Khamenei's people, worried about protests, already warning that these will be forcibly met?

0715 GMT: Claim of the Day. The Supreme Leader's senior advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati, has insisted that the Islamic Republic has never been as strong as today despite the sensitive situation in the Middle East and across the world: “No country in the region has the current power of Iran, but the maintenance of this might requires the participation and cooperation of the people."

0700 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Amid the continuing manoeuvres over June's Presidential election --- with various factions claiming that they are pursuing an "honest" vote while their rivals are seeking to manipulate the outcome --- Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani returned to his battle with President Ahmadinejad.

Without naming the President, Larijani put out a warning to Ahmadinejad on Wednesdady not to "sabotage" the elections, trying to put in his right-hand man Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai as the next President.

The clash between Larijani and Ahmadinejad escalated and came out into the open in early February, when the President used a speech on the floor of Parliament to denounce Larijani and his brothers --- senior judiciary official Mohammad Javad and businessman Fazel --- as corrupt.

Although the dispute finally receded, at least publicly, after the Supreme Leader insisted on a cease-fire, the tensions have continued to ripple. Other politicans and clerics have also challenged Ahmadinejad over his promotion of Rahim-Mashai, while the President and his confidant have insisted that they are protected the votes of the Iranian people.