The Latest from Iran (28 November): Politics Does Not Stop

1625 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The names of four of the seven activists detained in Marivan in Iranian Kurdistan have been published.

1550 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. The Supreme Leader's represetnative to the Revolutionary Guard, Mojtaba Zolnour, has renewed the allegation that the children of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani --- Mehdi Hashemi and Faezeh Hashemi --- were involved in the 2009 "sedition".

The regime has elevated its threats in recent weeks to arrest Mehdi Hashemi, who is currently in London.

1510 GMT: Press Watch. The managing directors of the conservative newspapers Fararu and Tabnak have been convicted of charges in a Tehran court.

1505 GMT: Claim of Day. The head of the Revolutionary Guard's public relations department, Commander Ramezan Sharif, says an attempted hijacking of a Tehran to Damascus flight this weekend was planned by Israel to overshadow the visit of Lebanese premier Saad Hariri to Tehran.

1500 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The Feminist School has posted a report on the second hearing in the trial of detained attorney Nasrine Sotoudeh.

1430 GMT: International Front. Iranian state media is featuring Minister of Defence Ahmad Vahidi's declaration to visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri that Tehran is prepared to help Lebanon's army: "We have stated on several occasions, and we say it again today, that we stand alongside the Lebanese army and are prepared to cooperate."

Vahidi offered Hariri an Iranian-made sub-machine gun Tondar (Thunder). (No word if Hariri accepted it.)

Hariri, according to Iranian media, responded, "The stability, security and unity of Lebanon play a very important role in resolving regional and internal issues. Therefore, I wanted to come to Iran and see your defence achievements, even though it is contrary to the position of our enemies."

1420 GMT: Labour Front. For the second day in a row, workers of the Saipa Diesel Motor Company have gathered in front of Parliament.

1330 GMT: Energy Squeeze (cont. --- see 0830 GMT). Homa Katouzian, the head of Parliament's Energy Commission, says he intends to submit a report on the lack of progress in the development of the South Pars gas field: "Based on the forecasts, the progress in the South Pars Project should be 25% in the eight months of this year, but [this] has not been observed."

Katouzian said development had been less than 0.5% percent in some of South Pars' 28 phases.

1115 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Seven activists have been arrested in Marivan in Iranian Kurdistan.

0904 GMT: President's Defiance. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, continuing to push his subsidy-cut proposal amidst further delays over its implementation, says he wouldn't "give one hair" for those who pretend to be leading change while resisting him.

0900 GMT: Rumour of the Day. Khabar Online reports chatter that, on the eve of subsidy cuts, Minister of Welfare and Social Security Sadegh Mahsouli will face a third "istizah" in Parliament.

A third summoning by the Majlis effectively means dismissal in the Iranian system.

0830 GMT: Oil Squeeze. Peyke Iran claims that some projects in the South Pars oil and gas field, scheduled to finish in three years, have not even reached 1/200th of completion after eight months.

0825 GMT: A Clerical Discussion. Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani has held his third private meeting in a month with other Grand Ayatollahs, including Mousavi Ardebili, Shobeiri Zanjani, and Sobhani.

There is no indication yet of the topics of discussion.

0800 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Mehr summarises the letter of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani --- noted in EA yesterday --- declaring, “The Basij, like its founder (late Imam Khomeini), should be the standard-bearer of moderation in cultural and social affairs.”

Rafsanjani added that, as "a great national asset" the Basij should not carry out extremist actions under the influence of “political brouhahas” and should not be “polluted” by groups that are trying to take advantage of the Basij to achieve their political goals.

0735 GMT: Defiance. Detained reformist politician Mostafa Tajzadeh has continued his challenges to the Government and the "election coup".

In his latest comments, the former Deputy Minister of Interior accuses current Iran Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mosheni-Ejei of choosing Saeed Mortazavi --- the former Tehran Prosecutor General discredited over the Kahrizak Prison abuses and deaths --- as deputy, repeats his report on prison beatings in detail, and demands a trial against Revolutionary Guard Commander Moshfegh, caught on audio detailing plans for repression of the oppression during and after the 2009 election.

0730 GMT: Spreading Religion. Peyke Iran reports, from Rasa News, that 300 new seminaries are to be built in Iran.

0720 GMT: On Thursday, we wondered if political tensions would ease for Iran's four-day holiday around the religious ceremony of Eid al-Ghadir.

They haven't.

Kalemeh reports on another signal: with the budget for 2010-2011 still in suspension because of conflict between the Government and the Majlis, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Reza Bahonar has urged the Executive to put forth a plan for 2011/12. He claims that the Government has delayed submission for the sixth time in a row.

However, a more powerful signal is in the conservative outlet Alef. The website features an interview with the father of post-election protester Davood Sadri, killed by a Basij militiaman in the mass demonstration of 15 June 2009.