Latest from Iran (17 June): Clearing Away the Smoke

1850 GMT: The Sanctions List. The US Treasury has published the names of four individuals (head of Revolutionary Guard Mohammad Ali Jafari, Minister of Defense Ahmad Vahidi, Basij commander Mohammad Reza Naqdi, and Javad Karimi Sabet of Iran's nuclear programme) and 27 companies whose financial transactions are blocked.

1845 GMT: Remembering the Slain. Payvand has published a summary and photos of Tuesday's memorial for Kianoush Asa, a student at Elm-o-Sanat University who was killed during the 15 June 2009 demonstrations.

1840 GMT: The Attack on the Clerics. The reformist Assembly of Combatant Clergy has condemned Sunday's assault on the offices of Grand Ayatollah Sane'i.

NEW Iran Snapshot: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Master of Irony
NEW Iran Overview: Striking Poses from Sanctions to Cyber-War to “Terrorism”
Iran Document: Mousavi’s “Green Charter” (15 June)
Iran Analysis: The Supreme Leader and the Attacks on the Clerics (Verde)
The Latest from Iran (16 June): Simmering

1620 GMT: Not Forgetting. The German TV station 3sat reports on Iranian post-election refugees in Turkey, at least 100 of whom it is claimed have been tortured.

1615 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Rah-e-Sabz reports that journalist Masood Lavasani has had a heart attack in Evin Prison and is in critical condition. The website also says the condition of Hengameh Shahidi has deteriorated.

1610 GMT: Responding to the Attacks. Saideh Montazeri, the daughter of the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, has written of "the world upside down".

The reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front has said the attack on the offices of clerics is a sign of weakness of "putschists" towards the Green Movement.

1600 GMT: This Isn't Over. Member of Parliament Elyas Naderan, a vocal critic of the Government, has said that he may publish documents relating to the Majlis' unseen report on the June 2009 attacks on the dormitories of Tehran University.

1555 GMT: Victory is Ours! Hojatoleslam Hossein Taeb, the head of the intelligence bureau of the Revolutionary Guard, has declared, "The people have isolated the leaders of fitna [sedition] and denied them the chance to appear in public."

1445 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. It is reported that Dr Hessam Firouzi, physician and human rights activist, has been released.

1420 GMT: The Attack on the Clerics. Another reminder of the significance of Mr Verde's analysis, "The Supreme Leader and the Attacks on the Clerics": Zahra Rahnavard has written, "By targeting religious and scientific figures, who have always been aligned with the people, whether it be the elderly, the youth, children, men or women of all kind, who have benefited from their words, the ruling powers have once again demonstrated the extent of their malice."

1405 GMT: On a day when we have had to concede defeat to political posturing, President Ahmadinejad has, as the English would put it (I am told), "taken the biscuit" with a classic comment about the need for people to be fully informed so they can hold their leaders to account.

Really. Have a read.

1355 GMT: And Human Rights? Any More Poses on Human Rights? Why, yes....

Iran's Foreign Ministry has rejected the statement by 56 members of the UN Human Rights Commission (see 0715 GMT) condemning Tehran's suppression of post-election dissent. The statement, according to Iranian officials, was "unreal and with political intentions".

1345 GMT: Sanctions Front (Again). The European Union has now approved the new sanctions regime against Tehran, going beyond the UN resolution for restrictions on finance and shipping to authorise prohibition on "new investment, technical assistance and transfers of technologies, equipment and services related to these areas, in particular related to refining, liquefaction and Liquefied Natural Gas technology."

1335 GMT: And How About Those Foreigners and "Terrorism"? Britain has rejected the charge by the Iranian Government that it supported plans by the People's Mojahedin of Iran to bomb Tehran squares on 12 June: "We made clear we condemn all terrorism everywhere. The Government firmly rejects any allegation of British involvement in any such activity," said the Foreign Office.

1320 GMT: On the Sanctions Front. Almost impossible to keep the smoke clear with political volleys coming in from all directions. According to Interfax, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has complicated today's US and European Union game of public pressure on Tehran with escalated sanctions, outside the United Nations framework. "We are extremely disappointed by the fact that the U.S. and the EU are not heeding our calls to refrain from such steps," Ryabkov told reporters.

However, as Moscow continues to balance its position, Ryabkov said that Russia will stop shipments of anti-aircraft missile systems S-300 to Iran: "We understand it as the resolution enacted a ban on shipment of these systems to Iran."

1010 GMT: What Next for the Green Movement? Amidst a flurry of Iran news --- and some misinformed conclusions about the state of the Government and the "opposition" --- I missed what appears to be a worthwhile collection of six articles, written before the 12 June anniversary of the election but translated into English afterwards, from Gozaar: "Will the Greens Last?"

0715 GMT: Just Another Posture? In a statement on Wednesday, 56 members of the UN Human Rights Council rebuked Iran for its human rights record in the past year, citing “the violent suppression of dissent, detention and executions without due process of law, severe discrimination against women and minorities including people of Baha'i faith, and restrictions of expression and religion”.

China, Cuba, and Pakistan protested against the announcement, prepared by Norway and the US, but 16 members of UN Human Rights Council and all the 37 members of the European Union signed the statement.

0625 GMT: A lot of smoke on Wednesday, with the US and Europe threatening the Iranian Government and the Iranian Government threatening dissidents: we've summarised in a separate entry.

How to clear that smoke and get to the significant developments? Here's a start....

Khatami's Intervention

Former Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami has condemned last Sunday's attacks by regimes supporters on the home of Grand Ayatollah Sane'i: "They are trying to pass a kind of fascistic behaviour as the way of Islam and Revolution in society.”

Meeting the youth branch of the Etemade Melli party, Khatami said: “When they treat the residence of Ayatollah Sanei in this manner, we should be concerned. We cannot say these are arbitrary acts when in complete freedom and security they feel free to commit any insult and injury and they are equipped with such equipment that is not easily acquired by ordinary people.”

Attack on the Clerics (continued)

Arash Aramesh notes an editorial in Keyhan maintaining the public pressure on senior clerics to mend their ways:

Why is it that the great Sources of Emulation considered the people’s objection to Mr. Seyyed Hassan Khomeini [the heckling at the 4 June ceremony for Ayatollah Khomeini] an insult to Imam and his family and condemned it while they [Sources of Emulation] remained silent and sensed no threat when leaders of sedition and their supporters insulted Imam Hussein…and formed a coalition with hypocrites, Baha’is, monarchists, and Marxists against Islam and the revolution?

Political Prisoner Watch

Seven prominent post-election detainees, including Mohsen Aminzadeh, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Abdullah Ramezanzadeh, Mohsen Safaei Farahani, Behzad Nabavi, and Mohsen Mirdamadi have asked Parliament for an investigation of arrests, interrogations and illegal trials.

Follow-Up to 22 Khordaad

We conferred with some of the best Iran-watchers yesterday in London: best estimate --- and it has to be a rough estimate at this point --- is that on 12 June, the anniversary of the election, there were several thousand people out in Tehran and demonstrations in some other cities.

Meanwhile, RAHANA adds the information that the protest at Shiraz University was blocked by an "unprecedented" presence of security units, Intelligence agents, and plainclothes forces, scattering the students.

Comments

[Arshama]

Paris offers Honorary Citizenship to Shirin Ebadi and her daughters, while her husband and siblings are menaced in Iran: http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/politic/more/22982/" rel="nofollow">http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/politic/m...
Incisive article by women's rights activist Nayere Touhidi, "Mysogynists want to destroy families"
Strange times, my dear...

[Arshama]

Political Refugeees Watch
German 3sat has made a documentary on Iranian refugees in Central Turkey, all severely tortured, many raped and traumatized. The reporter speaks of ca. 100 severe cases, submitted to German authorities, who only want to accept 50 refugees. Perhaps someone who can help, reads this, because the refugees are menaced by regime thugs. One of them says he had met his torturer in Turkey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgwKAJYNtSo&feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgwKAJYNtSo&feat...

[Catherine]

Arshama,
RE Incisive article by women's rights activist Nayere Touhidi, "Mysogynists want to destroy families"

I wish I could read it! I assume you've seen Homylafayette's coverage of the ceremony and speeches in Paris?
http://homylafayette.blogspot.com/2010/06/long-live-free-iran-paris-mayor-calls.html" rel="nofollow">http://homylafayette.blogspot.com/2010/06/long-...

[Catherine]

RE Khatami’s Intervention

When I read the Radio Zamaneh report on this (used above) just before the Iran Latest 17 June was posted, I couldn't help but marvel at their choice of headline: 'Khatami: They want to pass Fascism as Islam' http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/06/khatami-they-want-to-pass.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/06/khatami-t...

I thought, "Wow! Did Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami just refer to current pro-government forces as basically Islamofascists?!?" :-)

[Arshama]

Catherine,

You can read it! Well, partly at least...
Just copy the Persian text and put it into Google Translate (Persian > English). I did so and the result is not too bad. There are obviously some shortcomings, but it gives you a general idea of the content...

Thanks for the link to Homylafayette. Non, hadn't seen it yet. Merci :-)

Arshama

[Catherine]

Iranian Aid Convoys to Gaza Watch

An Iranian Red Crescent official vowed last week to send two ships, carrying humanitarian aid as well as an operating theater, to Gaza. Unconfirmed reports say one of the aid ships left Sunday for Gaza. Now, the head of Iran's Palestine Aid Society, Mohammed Ali Nourani, is promising more aid for Gaza.

He says next week there will be an aid convoy from Tehran to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and then set sail to Gaza. He adds that immediately after that, there will be another Iranian aid convoy that will head overland to Istanbul and head by sea to Gaza.

BUT
Iran analyst Ali Nourizadeh of the London-based Center for Arab and Iranian Studies says Tehran is just engaging in empty rhetoric, since it knows that neither Israel nor Egypt will allow its aid ships or its parliament members to reach Gaza

and

Meir Javedanfar of the MEEPAS Center in Tel Aviv says Iran will not win many kudos from Arabs or Palestinians, since Turkey is much more popular in the Arab world than Iran
Read the complete article: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Iranian-Officials-say-More-Aid-and-Parliamentary-Group-Heading-to-Gaza-96404459.html" rel="nofollow">http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-eas...

[WitteKr]

Diplomacy Watch. Good and not so good news for Obama.
" The World Still Looks to Obama for Leadership - but Pew Global Survey reveals Muslim nations lack confidence in US goals and policies"

"Respect and admiration around the globe for US President Barack Obama has not faded 18 months after the historic election, reports an April-May survey of 22 nations, released today by the Pew Research Center ’s Global Attitudes Project. Exceptions were five of six predominantly Muslim nations, where more than half the respondents expressed a lack of confidence in Obama’s leadership, adding to general doubts about US foreign policy on Israel , Palestine, Iran and Afghanistan."
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/world-still-looks-obama-leadership" rel="nofollow">http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/world-still-...

[WitteKr]

Re 1345: Sanctions (and Diplomacy watch). Russia is not pleased...

"Russia sharply criticised the United States and European Union on Thursday for imposing additional sanctions against Iran beyond those approved by the U.N. Security Council last week with Moscow's backing. - The deputy foreign minister called unilateral U.S. and EU sanctions "harmful" and warned the West it risks losing Moscow's support for concerted efforts to rein in Tehran's nuclear activity.
"We are extremely disappointed that neither the United States nor the European Union is heeding our calls to refrain from such steps," Interfax and Itar-Tass news agencies news quoted Sergei Ryabkov as saying." (...)
"Ryabkov's remarks may have been meant in part to mend strained relations with Iran, where Moscow has trade interests and is building a nuclear power plant -- and assure Russians the Kremlin is not doing the bidding of the United States."

But... (finally clarity?) "At the same time, Ryabkov reiterated that Russia interprets that the U.N. sanctions prohibit it from delivering S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran under a contract the United States has urged Moscow not to fulfill."

Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE65G24720100617" rel="nofollow">http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE65G2472010...

[Zdvelayat4]

I found this interesting. Connecting Mogtaba Khamenei with Qom incidents recently.

http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2010/06/106270.php" rel="nofollow">http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2010/06...

[Megan]

Re: Expanded U.S. Sanctions on Iran.

Yesterday, I received a letter from my credit card company. The tile of this letter was “Amendment(s) to Your Credit Card Agreement”. None of the changes were significant or eye catching except one that was underlined for emphasis. The title of this amendment was “limitation on permissible use” and it read “you may not use your account to conduct transactions in any country or territory or with any individual or entity that is subject to economic sanctions administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Use of your credit card in those countries, or other jurisdictions as may be determined by FIA Card Services, will be blocked.”

U.S. sanctions are real. I wonder how many banks or credit card companies have already sent notifications to their customers.