The Latest from Iran (18 October): Mischief-Making

1825 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch (Amended). An EA correspondent checks in on our item about the reported statement from Hashemi Rafsanjani over his refusal to lead Tehran Friday Prayers since July 2009 (see 1440 GMT).

According to the former President's representative, Ali Asgari, Rafsanjani said he would be flaunting justice if he omitted to saying the "full truth" in the Prayers, adding that many would be upset if he did say the truth. Therefore, Rafsanjani refrains from saying the truth to avoid disturbing people or acting in violation of justice.

1805 GMT: Academic Corner. A very useful summary from Golnaz Esfandiari at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "In Iran, Renewed Efforts To Keep University Students In Check".

1755 GMT: You Want a Neighborly Story? Look to Afghanistan. Amidst the unwarranted fuss over Iraq, this story has largely slid by today:

An Iranian representative joined the international "contact group" [on Afghanistan] --- which brings together the Afghan government, dozens of countries, Nato, the EU and UN --- for the talks in Rome.

It comes amid a renewed push to end the bloody nine-year Afghan conflict.

One senior US diplomat said Iran had "a role to play" in tackling the problems.

"We recognise that Iran, with its long, almost completely open border with Afghanistan and with a huge drug problem... has a role to play in the peaceful settlement of this situation in Afghanistan," Richard Holbrooke - the US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan - told a news conference.

"So for the United States there is no problem with their presence."

He said discussions would not be affected by the "bilateral issues" of Iran's nuclear programme, which Iran says is for purely civilian purposes but the US insists is a cover for creating atomic weapons.

1750 GMT: The Iraq Diversion. We have a full update, reviewing Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's day in Tehran, of our morning feature on the posturing over the visit.

1440 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Hashemi Rafsanjani's advisor in the Expediency Council, Ali Asgari, gives Rafsanjani's explanation for not delivering a Tehran Friday Prayer since July 2009: "If I can't say the truth, I have denied justice."  

1430 GMT: Economy Watch. Amidst news that Iran has stopped importing automobiles, a warning on the domestic front: if French car giant Peugeot leaves Iran, domestic car production will drop by 30%.  

Reports are circulating of an unpublished document from Iran's Statistics Center that 500,000 Iranians lost their jobs during the past year.  

1425 GMT: Sanctions Watch (Sports Page Edition). Now you know that sanctions are serious: Peyke Iran reports that football's governing body FIFA has blocked payments to Iran. 

1420 GMT: Subsidy Watch. Mehdi Ghazanfari has warned that if prices are not controlled, "an avalanche" may crush the Iranian Government.

1125 GMT: Sanctions Watch. Looks like the US Government is in a PR offensive to get China on-board with sanctions. From The Washington Post:

The Obama administration has concluded that Chinese firms are helping Iran to improve its missile technology and develop nuclear weapons, and has asked China to stop such activity, a senior U.S. official said.

During a visit to Beijing last month, a delegation led by Robert J. Einhorn, the State Department's special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, handed a "significant list" of companies and banks to their Chinese counterparts, according to the senior U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue in U.S.-Chinese relations. The official said the Obama administration thinks that the companies are violating U.N. sanctions, but that China did not authorize their activities.

The fact that the Post is carrying the story indicates that Washington did not get an immediate, satisfactory response to its appeal in advance of further talks with Iran on uranium enrichment.

1120 GMT: Gender Politics. Minou Aslani, head of Basij sisters, is blunt: Iran does not have a women's movement; all the advocates are either Westerners or Zionists.

1110 GMT: Karroubi Gets to the Point. News comes through of Mehdi Karroubi's statement to a group of journalists. It's defiant stuff: Karroubi says, despite raids, beatings, and detentions, the regime has not changed the minds of protesters.

On another front, Karroubi says, "Economic 'sedition' is an excuse to oppress people's protests against inflation."

0909 GMT: Slapping MPs. Ayatollah Dastgheib has written an open letter of support for Seyed Ahmad Reza Dastgheib, the member of Parliament from Shiraz who was slapped by a pro-Government legislator in the Majlis last week.

0905 GMT: (Lack of) Trade News. Khabar Online reports that the import of automobiles into Iran has stopped.

0850 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch (Propaganda Edition). We noted yesterday the emerging politics of the release of Iranian-American businessman Reza Taghavi after 29 months in detentionn. Iranian state media featured his declaration that he would take legal action against the "terrorist group", the monarchist organisation Tondar --- the Iranian legal case was that Taghavi had given $200 to a member of the group; Taghavi says he did so unwittingly.

Well, today's headline is that Taghavi has visited survivors of the 2008 Shiraz mosque bombing, allegedly carried out by Tondar, as a condition of his release.

0845 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Gooya reports that attorney Nasrine Sotoudeh has been indicted on three charges: endangering national security, collusion intended to disrupt security, and cooperation with the Center for Defenders of Human Rights.

Meanwhile, more than 900 women’s rights and human rights activists and well as clients of Sotoudeh have posted a statement expressing their urgent concern over her detention.

Mohammad Banazadeh-Amirkhizi, detained last November, has been given five years in  Gohardasht Prison.

The 63-year-old Banazadeh-Amirkhizi was reportedly sentenced in the absence of his lawyer.

0755 GMT: Prediction of the Day. President Ahmadinejad, speaking families of the martyrs of the Iran-Iraq War, said the West will soon apologise "in abject weakness" to Tehran: "Their struggling is out of weakness and they know quite well that they cannot do a damn thing, but they set the stage in a way as if they are capable of doing anything."

We will keep watch for the apology. 

0750 GMT: Economy Watch. Peyke Iran reports that, with the introdction of subsidy cuts, monthly support payments for lower-income families will be between $400 and $430 per month. 

0745 GMT: With a lull in news, let's start the day with a juicy rumour....

The opposition site Green Correspondents claims that 25 members of the family and office of the Supreme Leader are trying to emigrate to the US.