Today on EA (16 December)

Iran: A busy day on the political front, with threats from the regimes and spirited responses from the oppositions. We've got it all in the LiveBlog.

We've posted another summary of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani's speech in Mashhad, which has prompted a lot of the regime's anger and nervousness. And from the US, Gary Sick offers first-hand experience of the problems with American strategy towards Iran.

On the lighter side, there's the Picture of the Day: former President Mohammad Khatami's cellphone.

Israel: We offer the inside line of an Israeli threat to set aside peace talks with Syria and Turkish mediation. Ali Yenidunya also surveys the Israeli and British reactions to this week's revelation of an arrest warrant in Britain for former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

Israel and Britain: The Reaction to the Livni Arrest Warrant

Having denied initially that a British court had issued an arrest warrant for former Foreign Minister and current Leader of the Opposition Tzipi Livni, Israel shifted to condemnation on Tuesday. Livni told the BBC:

What needs to be put on trial here is the abuse of the British legal system. This is not a suit against Tzipi Livni, this is not a law suit against Israel. This is a lawsuit against any democracy that fights terror.

At a press conference in Tel Aviv, she continued, "Israel must do what is right for Israel, regardless of judgements, statements and arrest warrants. It's the leadership's duty, and I would repeat each and every decision."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the warrant "an absurdity" and declared:

We will not accept a situation in which [former Israeli Prime Minister] Ehud Olmert, [Defence Minister] Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni will be summoned to the defendants' chair.

We will not agree to have Israel Defence Force soldiers, who defended the citizens of Israel bravely and ethically against a cruel and criminal enemy, be recognised as war criminals. We completely reject this absurdity taking place in Britain.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry added, "Israel rejects the cynical act taken in a British court," and summoned the British Ambassador to Israel to deliver a rebuke.

As for Britain, its diplomats quickly moved to put the British judiciary in its proper place. The Foreign Office stated, "Britain is determined to do all it can to promote peace in the Middle East, and to be a strategic partner of Israel. To do this, Israel's leaders need to be able to come to the UK for talks with the British government."Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the law allowing judges to issue arrest warrants against foreign dignitaries, without any prior knowledge or advice by a prosecutor, must be reviewed and reformed. He added, "Israel is a strategic partner and a close friend of the United Kingdom. We are determined to protect and develop these ties. Israeli leaders - like leaders from other countries - must be able to visit and have a proper dialogue with the British government."

Today on EA (15 December)

Iran: Mr Azadi has written a Beginner's Guide to Moharram, and we have today's videos of university protests.

In snubbing "the Iran protester", and thus the entire Green movement, Time magazine has managed to succeed where the Iranian regime has failed.

A group of US Congressmen introduced two proposals yesterday aimed at helping people in Iran and targeting the business interests of the regime. Meanwhile, the US State Department is trying to take control of other Congressional bills pursuing strict sanctions, asking for no introduction of the measures until 2010.

All the latest news is available on our live weblog.

Israel and Britain: There's still some confusion over Britain's plans with regard to Israeli opposition chair Tzipi Livni and the UK arrest warrant issued last year.

Palestine: Will President Abbas cling to his office indefinitely?

Afghanistan: Tom Englehardt points out, through "The 9 Surges of Mr Obama's War", how the US is committed to a long-term stay in and around its military intervention.

Israel and Britain: An Arrest Warrant against Tzipi Livni?

On Monday, senior Israeli officials confirmed that a British court had issued an arrest warrant against opposition chairwoman Tzipi Livni for her role in the offensive in the Gaza Strip a year ago. British sources later added that the warrant was annulled when it was discovered Livni was not in Britain.

Livni was invited a month ago to address the Jewish National Fund UK's annual conference in London, but two weeks ago she turned down the invitation, supposedly because British Prime Minister Gordon Brown would be abroad at the time. Yesterday's news raises another possibility why she never made the journey.

Both Livni's office and the British Foreign Office rejected the reports. Livni's office said in a statement:

The opposition leader is proud of all her decisions connected to Operation Cast Lead. The operation achieved its goal of defending the people of Israel and restoring Israel's deterrence. Livni will continue presenting her view everywhere around the world.

Palestine: Abbas Clings to His Office — Indefinitely?

The Foreign Office asserted:

The UK is determined to do all it can to promote peace in the Middle East and to be a strategic partner of Israel. To do this, Israel's leaders need to be able to come to the UK for talks with the British government. We are looking urgently at the implications of this case.

Livni Criticizing Netanyahu's 10-Month Moratorium

On Monday, Kadima's leader Tzipi Livni criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's 10-month settlement moratorium, saying that the decision will harm Israel's interests "in retaining the larger settlement blocs." Livni went on:

When I hear the prime minister saying to settlers that 'we'll get through this freeze together,' that it is a temporary arrangement and that everything will grow again, the meaning is that there is still no decision.

Livni also stated that the moratorium is merely serving American interests:

The moment the desire is merely to appease America, it will be understood that no real decision has been made.

If the prime minister says concerning the outposts that 'we'll get through this together' then there are three alternatives which are all not good. Either the government has not decided on the need for a peace deal, it is a government that is deceiving itself or that it is deceiving the public.

But Likud sought to use Livni's words as evidence of a victory for Netanyahu. The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying that, "I happily heard the opposition members' support for the [settlement] blocs."