The Latest from Iran (19 October): The Khamenei Road Show

2000 GMT: Spot the Cleric. OK, here's one publicity photo, put out by the Supreme Leader's visit. Two of the clerics are Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani and Ayatollah Javadi Amoli.

Mehr has more photographs, from Khamenei's office, of a larger gathering.

1950 GMT: Another Cleric Writes. Here's an unexpected greeting for the Supreme Leader on his big trip: Ayatollah Mohammad Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi, detained since October 2006, has written an open letter to Ayatollah Khamenei demanding a national referendum supervised by the United Nations.

1920 GMT: And Now the Question of the Day. So who met the Supreme Leader in Qom today?

Press TV's broadcast only briefly mentions that Ayatollah Khamenei "saw senior clerics", and its website does not even mention an encounter.

Even more surprisingly, the Islamic Republic News Agency is silent.

Fars dares to post a list of senior clerics, which includes Ayatollah Nouri Hamedan, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, and Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani.

So what does that mean? Rah-e-Sabz adds names such as Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami and Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi but claims that none of the highest-ranking clerics --- "sources of emulation" --- were present.

Which names have not appeared? Well, Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani and Grand Ayatollah Vahdi Khorasani, both of whom had indicated they would be otherwise engaged (see separate analysis), seem to have resisted pressure to attend the meeting. We're also keeping an eye out for whether Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi was present.

1915 GMT: Stopping the Clerics. How confident is the regime? As the Supreme Leader negotiates with clerics in Qom, the regime has blocked the website of former President and Ayatollah Mohammad Khatami.

1510 GMT: The Khamenei Road Show. Little of note on the domestic front regarding the Supreme Leader in Qom. Meanwhile, Scott Peterson of The Christian Science Monitor has a useful overview of Khamenei's speech and the quest for clerical support, and Michael Theodoulou --- in a piece written before the Supreme Leader's arrival in Qom --- offers further context in The National.

1150 GMT: Talking to the Neighbours. Iranian state media, having gotten its legitimising photo-opportunity with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday --- he's come to Iran, so that proves we're a regional power --- have moved on, but the Western media continues to flutter about how ominous it all is. The Washington Post worries, "Iran's vision for the next Iraqi government seems to be gaining more traction.

Ali Gharib gets to the point in his response:

I was a bit surprised to see three articles promoting the same view that Iran had ordered cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's move into Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's camp in the Iraqi coalition struggle. No named sources have come through to corroborate this contention and, as such, emerging details are few and far between.

I'm not saying such influence was not exerted, just that when there is doubt, it befits news organizations to acknowledge an opposing view.

The significant news is on another front: to its credit, the Post features the news --- noted in EA yesterday --- that Iran has joined representatives of the US and other countries on the high-level international working group on Afghanistan, hearing a report by General David Petraeus, the US commander in the country.

And there's a bonus point to pick up from the Post story: Iran was represented by Mohammad Ali Qanezadeh, director of Asian affairs at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That points to a victory for the diplomats over President Ahmadinejad, who had appointed his own special envoy for Afghanistan.

1040 GMT: The Khamenei Road Show. Fars exalts the Supreme Leader's speech to a "huge crowd", adding the theme of resistance against the sanctions of "arrogant powers" to the Revolution's victory over "sedition", and posting a dramatic video.

IRNA is not quite so loud but still features a defiant Khamenei crticising those who spread rumours against the government and failing to appreciate the service it does for the people.

Press TV finally has some coverage, but it is only a few paragraphs featuring the Supreme Leader's line on sedition and foreigners, "Enemies of the Islamic Revolution who intend to inflict damage on the revolution have two main targets, including the religion of the people and their devotion to the revolution....An establishment which is based on religion will not yield to pressure of enemies and bullying powers."

0845 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. RAHANA reports that, as well as the son and lawyer of the condemned Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani (see 0725 GMT), the two German journalists who were interviewing them and were detained in the raid by Iranian security raids will appear in court today.

Der Spiegel posts a related article, "The Dangers of Being A Journalist in Iran".

0825 GMT: The Khamenei Road Show. The Supreme Leader has delivered a short speech in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd in Qom. No real surprises as he framed his journey for support in the take-away line, "Religion is the backbone of the Islamic Revolution".

The Islamic Republic News Agency is still writing up its story but has previewed the headline that "the Revolution, with the greater insight of the people, has vaccinated itself against sedition" since the 2009 election.

Interestingly, Press TV --- although it covered the speech live --- is not mentioning it on its website or its headlines. Instead, it is Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's arrival in Tehran that gets a mention.

0730 GMT: A Democratic Reassurance. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has told visiting German legislator Peter Gauweiler that Islam is democratic and anti-despotic by nature: “The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is strengthening and safeguarding peaceful coexistence among the followers of various religious faiths."

There is no indication in the Islamic Republic News Agency report whether Larijani referred to recent political developments in Iran.

0725 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The International Campaign Against Stoning is claiming that the son and lawyer of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to death for adultery, will appear in court today.

Ashtiani's son, Sajad Ghaderzadeh, and attorney Houton Kian were detained in a raid on 10 October as they were being interviewed by two German journalists. They were taken to an undisclosed location; the ICAS is now claiming that they have been held in prison in Tabriz.

0710 GMT: Sanctions Watch. The Obama Administration is trying to step up pressure on Tehran, sending its specialist official on sanctions, Stuart Levey, to Azerbaijan and Turkey.

0700 GMT: The Islamic Republic News Agency has posted a short report on the entry of the Supreme Leader into Qom for his heralded visit. Apparently he was met by a "raging river of people" chanting revolutionary slogans.

Not everybody is up to speed on the publicity, however. Press TV has no report, headlining instead on the killing of two people in a shooting inside the Parliament building in Chechnya.