The Latest from Iran (1 August): Facing New Sanctions

See also Iran Feature: "We Have Restricted the Wishes and Ideals of the Nation To Worrying About Chicken"
The Latest from Iran (31 July): Politics and Fraud

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1750 GMT: All the President's Men. The head of the Administrative Court has reacted to 1st Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi's insistence that Presidential aide Saeed Mortazavi will remain as head of the Social Security Fund, despite the Court's order that he step down (see 1045 GMT).

The head of the Court said any official who refused to give up his post could be suspended.

Prominent MP Ahmad Tavakoli, an ally of Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, has asserted that Ministers, such as the Minister of Labour, could be removed from office if Mortazavi --- accused of responsibility for the abuse and killing of protesters in Kahrizak detention centre in summer 2009 --- did not resign his post at the Fund.

1745 GMT: Energy Watch. Ahmad Malakouti, head of the Revolutionary Guards in Asalouyeh in southern Iran has dismissed any concerns about the withdrawal of foreign investement from the South Pars oil and gas field --- he said that 1200 Basij militia were active in the South Pars project, hence its amazing progress.

1740 GMT: CyberWatch. Back from a break to find that the website of the Martyr Beheshti Foundation, which published the writings of the late Ayatollah Beheshti, has been filtered for unknown reasons.

Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti is a hero of the Islamic Revolution. He was head of the judiciary in the post-Revolutionary regime before he died in a bombing in June 1981.

1430 GMT: Currency Watch. The Iranian Rial has weakened further and is now close to the psychological mark of 20000:1 vs. the US dollar.

Despite last week's effort to stabilise the rate, the Rial has fallen 2% in 48 hours to 19980:1, its lowest point since it was in crisis in February.

1353 GMT: Hidden Imam Watch. The sponsor of an event by the Hojatieh society, which is centred upon the impending return of the 12th, "Hidden" Imam in Shi'a Islam, has reportedly been arrested to stop the group's activities.

1208 GMT: Propaganda Watch. A queue for subsidised chicken in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran:

1139 GMT: Propaganda Watch. Press TV reports that "all is now normal" in Aleppo in Syria, before joining the regime forces who are confronting foreign fighters and "terrorists":

1045 GMT: All the President's Men. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, defying the Administrative Court, has said that Presidential aide Saeed Mortazavi will remain as head of the Social Security Fund.

The head of the Court reiterated yesterday that Mortazavi must step down, amid the investigation of his possible role --- as Tehran Prosecutor General --- in the abuse and killing of protesters in the Kahrizak detention centre in summer 2009.

The Court had ordered Mortazavi's suspension from Government duties last year, but President Ahmadinejad defiantly appointed him to head the Fund.

The head of the Court said yesterday that he expected any verdict, to be issued soon against Mortazavi, to be implemented immediately.

0938 GMT: Economy Watch. MP Rouhollah Beygi has asserted that, instead of eliminating subsidised foreign exchange for students, the Government should stop the $70 million import of Chinese dolls.

0934 GMT: CyberWatch. Amid reports of the detention of pro-Ahmadinejad bloggers (see 0655 GMT), two more websites supporting the President have been filtered.

0931 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, given a furlough from her six-year prison sentence, with her children:

0924 GMT: Chicken Watch. Leading conservative politician Morteza Agha-Tehrani has told Iranians that there is "no problem if you don't eat chicken for a week" and that they "should not give a negative sign to the enemy" by complaining.

0719 GMT: Foreign Affairs Watch (Syrian Front). Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has put forward Tehran's offer to host talks between the Syrian regime and opposition groups, while adding that "terrorists" would be excluded.

0710 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. President Ahmadinejad has ordered the re-opening of 87 restaurants closed by police for immoral activity last month.

0655 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch (Pro-Ahmadinejad Edition). Fred Petrossian, writing for Global Voices Online, summarises the recent detentions of bloggers who support President Ahmadinejad, focusing on the case of Ahmad Shariat.

0605 GMT: As the Islamic Republic's leaders effectively admit the effect of sanctions by declaring a "resistance economy" --- the head of the Central Bank said Tuesday that the situation was equivalent to "military war" --- the US is imposing new restrictions.

The White House issued an order for "more measures against Tehran’s oil and petrochemical sectors and its its shipping, "particularly in light of the Government of Iran's use of revenues from petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemicals for illicit purposes, Iran's continued attempts to evade international sanctions through deceptive practices, and the unacceptable risk posed to the international financial system by Iran's activities".

The US will now blacklist any financial institution that receives payments for Iranian oil, hoping to prevent Iran from using foreign banks or its national oil company for its transactions. There is a precedent --- in 2010, the Treasury sanctioned China's Bank of Kunlun and Iraq's Elaf Islamic Bank for allegedly helping Iranian financial institutions gain access to international markets. 

The new measures come face-to-face with another dimension of the US strategy since this spring --- Washington has granted six-month waivers to 20 countries from restrictions because they made significant reductions in oil purchases. However, since its waiver was granted, China's purchases of Tehran's crude have rebounded after a 40% reduction in early 2012.

Bloomberg notes that "oil tankers able to haul at least 20 million barrels of Iranian crude signaled for China in July", the greatest potential amount since Bloomberg began monitoring in April.

China imported about 17 million barrels a month from Iran last year.