The Latest from Iran (4 November): What Will Happen on an Anniversary?

2110 GMT: Proper Teachers. The Ministry of Education Ministry has issued new directives barring the employment as school teachers of persons affiliated with "illegal" parties, organizations, and groups.

Such persons may not be employed as teachers "unless they repent" of the affiliation or withdraw the support.

The directive also gives priority of employment to those who "volunteer for activities in revolutionary institutions" and "participate in political, social, and religious activities".

2055 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch (Hunger Strike Edition). Back from an extended break to find that detained attorney Nasrine Sotoudeh has resumed her hunger strike, refusing food and water since Sunday.

Sotoudeh, who was imprisoned at the start of September, went on a hunger strike for four weeks but ended it on 23 October.

There are reports that the prominent Italian lawyer Bruno Malattia has taken on the defence of condemned adultress Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and her attorney Houtan Kian, who was detained last month.

1230 GMT: A Question. Can't help noticing that it's Britain, rather than US, that is getting prime position today as Foreign Villain, even though 13 Aban marks the takeover of the US Embassy in 1979.

Could that be because Tehran is playing nice with Washington in anticipation of the resumption of talks on Iran's uranium enrichment?

1210 GMT: So How's That 13 Aban Going for You? Well, to be honest, the Iranian state media's coverage of the regime celebrations is a bit...weird.

The Islamic Republic News Agency leads with yesterday's news, in which President Ahmadinejad gave a speech referring to 13 Aban. Supporting articles include a piece long on platitude and short of detail and pictures on today's student march in Tehran, and coverage of a speech by the head of Iran's broadcasting, Ezzatullah Zarghami, blaming the "current US intrigue". Oh, yes, there are also students in front of the British Embassy, protesting the recent statement by the head of British's foreign intelligence service, John Sawers, acknowledging efforts to disrupt Iran's nuclear programme.

Fars goes with the colourful label, "National Day Against Global Arrogance", highlighting a statement from a student committee and reporting on a rally in Qom. (Mehr, in the rare coverage giving an impression of crowd size, has a series of photographs of the Qom gathering and some other general pictures.)

Perhaps the most unusual reporting is by Press TV, which has a generic report on the marches but awkwardly tries to give the day its anti-British "foreign intrigue" flavour by treating Sawers' statement --- made last week --- as breaking news, un-subtly following it with the arrest of four "terrorists" supposedly backed by Britain (see 0744 GMT).

1205 GMT: 13 Aban Celebratory Cartoon of the Day. From Kianoosh Ramazani:

1155 GMT: Execution Watch. Hmm, can't help thinking that the regime is feeling a bit of pressure on the Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani case (see 0535 GMT)....

In the past 24 hours, there have been denials by the Foreign Ministry's spokesman and the Foreign Secretary that Ashtiani was scheduled for execution this week and an insistence that the case is still under review.

Still, that doesn't seem to be enough, so Iranian state media now highlights the head of judiciary of East Azerbaijan Province, Malek Ajdar Sharifi, "She is in perfect health and held in a prison in the city of Tabriz."

0815 GMT: Khamenei Watch. Foreign Policy magazine enters the discussion of the Supreme Leader's recent visit to Qom with a piece by "former CIA case officer" Art Keller on the "Not-So-Grand Tour". Setting current events in historical context, Keller contends:

If Khamenei was hoping to turn things around with a dramatic show of religious unity and power, then his visit to Qom was a miserable failure. Indeed, what is most notable about the trip is what did not happen: Neither Khamenei nor his son got any official elevation in their status; no grand religious initiative arose from the trip, and he was most definitely not greeted with open arms by most senior ayatollahs.

0744 GMT: Foreign "Sedition" Watch. Well, here's a present for the anniversary of the US Embassy takeover. From Press TV:

Iran's Intelligence Ministry says it has arrested four Britain-linked terrorists in the western city of Marivan, who carried out five assassinations in the last two years. The ministry said it has disclosed documents and confiscated weaponry from the terrorist group.

The detainees said they were given promise of $20,000 for each murder, but they only received $8,000 after accomplishing the mission.# They have confessed to getting orders in the Iraqi city of Suleymaniye from their commander "Jalil Fattahi", who is now residing in the United Kingdom.

Fattahi is one of the commanders of the Komala terrorist group which has been perpetuating several assassinations in the western cities of Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979....

Iran's Intelligence Ministry said Britain has not only carried out secret espionage activities in the country, but also funded and supported certain terrorist groups against the Islamic Republic.

The news of these arrests comes after the head of Britain's secret intelligence service (MI6), John Sawers, announced publicly on October 28th that his agency is carrying out spying activities in Iran in order to stop the country's nuclear activities.

0635 GMT: Recognising Reformists. Principlist activist Maryam Behrouzi has told Iranian Students News Agency, “We should accept that the pro-reform political groups exist. If these political groups are logically and properly organised, they can participate in the next elections.”

Behrouzi added, “I am sure that the reformist groups will return to the country’s political scene with new formations in the future, because there are many moderate and logical pro-reform activists around the country.”

Behrouzi said, however, the formation of an alliance between principlists and reformists is “unlikely” and claimed that the future belongs to the moderate principlists.

0630 GMT: Give Us Our Media. On his website, Ali Shakouri Rad, the leading member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front recently released from detention, has written an open letter to Ezzatullah Zarghami, the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. His message? Give millions of government critics and protesters their share of coverage in the media.

0559 GMT: The Medical University. We note the forcefulness of reformist MP Dariush Ghanbari's criticism of the dissolution of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, as he calls for the impeachment of Minister of Health Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi.

We note also the outlet: not a broadcaster of "sedition" but Iran's Press TV:

0554 GMT: A US Shift on Iran's "Terrorists". Lots of buzz over Washington's addition of the Baluch insurgent group Jundullah to its list of terrorist organisations: "Jundallah has engaged in numerous attacks resulting in the death and maiming of scores of Iranian civilians and government officials, primarily in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province. Jundallah uses a variety of terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings, ambushes, kidnappings and targeted assassinations," it added in a statement.

Lots of chatter, but little insight to answer this question: Why now?

0544 GMT: Protesting the Visit. Swedish political parties and Iranian organizations have objected to the planned visit of an Iranian parliamentary delegation to Sweden.

Six members of the Iran Parliament’s Education and Research Commission are due in Stockholm today to begin two days of discussion, including a meeting with Swedish MPs.

The Swedish Social Democrat Party MPs meeting with the Iranian delegation to raise questions over “violation of human rights”.  The Green and People’s Liberal parties announced that their members will not meet with the Iranian delegation.

Seven Iranian organizations abroad wrote a joint letter to the Swedish foreign ministry stressing that “the members of the Iranian parliament are not representatives of the people of Iran because they have been in effect appointed through undemocratic and fabricated elections".

The letter added, "It is evident to all that the Iranian regime oppresses its people and violation of human rights has become an everyday part of people’s lives. The world has repeatedly witnessed violation of human rights and oppression of people in Iran after the presidential elections of 2009 in Iran.”

0535 GMT: Execution Watch. Governments around the world continue to warn Tehran against putting to death Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman condemned for adultery.

Among the leaders making an appeal is Brazil's president-elect Dilma Rousseff, who said it would be "barbaric" if Ashtiani was executed.

0525 GMT: Today, 13 Aban, is the 31st anniversary of the takeover of the US Embassy by Iranian students, as well as the 46th anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's forced exile.

The Iranian regime has designated the day as a celebration of the Islamic Republic's unity, but last year it was distinguished by opposition protests. No such gatherings this year, given the atmosphere of repression, so the public question reverts to one of whether the Supreme Leader and Iranian Government can point to growing support.

Yesterday Ayatollah Khamenei made his play, using a speech to students to commemorate the bravery of Iranian youth both in the 1979 Embassy takeover and in defeating the post-election "sedition".

The statements also rushed forth: from the Islamic Propagation Coordination Council, the Society of Teachers and Researchers of Qom, the Islamic Society of Iranian Students, and the Ministry of Defense, which called today "the day of the Iranian nation's resistance against the 'global arrogance' plots".