The Latest from Iran (13 August): The Political Aftershocks of the Earthquakes

Maya Neyestani's announcer for State news agency IRIB declares, "Important news: The West's new scenario -- creating instability along Syria's borders. The death of one person from poverty in France. Zionists concerned by the meeting of...." Meanwhile, in the corner, a dead child and wailing mother in "Azerbaijan", the province hit by Saturday's earthquakes.

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The Latest from Iran (12 August): 250+ Killed in Earthquakes in Northwest

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1935 GMT: Oil Watch. Turkish imports of Iranian oil fell more than 36% between June and July, from about 110,000 barrels per day to around 70,000 barrels per day.

Only two 150,000-tonne cargoes of Iranian crude were discharged at one of Turkey's two import terminals, Tütünçiftlik.

The July volume is only 40% of Turkey's 2011 average of 180,000 bpd and a drop of up to 75% from 250,000-280,000 bpd imported in early 2012.

1925 GMT: The Earthquakes. The US Government has said that American citizens can donate food and medicine to Iranian victims of Saturday's earthquakes, without fear of prosecution for breaking sanctions.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters, "Americans wishing to provide humanitarian assistance to Iranians during this time may donate food and medicine without obtaining an Iranian transactions regulations license."

Nuland added that "certain non-commercial personal financial transactions" to Iran remained legal and that a US Government offer of assistance "stays on the table", even though the Iranian regime has said that it does not need foreign help.

1620 GMT: Subsidy Cuts Watch. After months of manoeuvring & delays, the Government and Parliament have agreed to cancel the second phase of President Ahmadinejad's flagship subsidy cuts programme.

Ahmadinejad said the cancellation was needed to prevent further burden on the Government and an "unbalanced budget".

The Government had introduced the initial phase in December 2010 and had said from the end of 2011 that the second phase of cuts was imminent.

Members of Parliament's Economy Committee offered a different explanation, saying that they were reviewing the budget on a "professional basis", given decreased oil income.

1610 GMT: Earthquake Watch. The Iranian Red Crescent and Ministry of Health have rejected foreign donations of cash and material for earthquake victims, saying that Iranian agencies are self-sufficient.

An exception has been made for limited help from Turkey because of Iran's aid to the Turks after the Van earthquake in 2011. The Red Crescent said the first shipment of humanitarian aid from Turkey had arrived but Turkish relief workers were turned away from Varzaghan, the town at the centre of one of the quakes.

1600 GMT: Sanctions Watch. Fatemeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of Iran’s Foundation for Special Diseases, has written to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about shortages in medicine caused by international sanctions.

Rafsanjani, the wife of the former President, said, “Some medication is in short supply, and some drug factories may be shut down in the next couple of months....Despite the claims of those who are imposing these sanctions, the restrictions have a direct adverse effect on people’s health.”

1540 GMT: The Earthquakes. A representative of State television IRIB, appearing at an emergency Parliamentary session on Saturday's earthquakes, has apologised for the decision to broadcast a comedy programme on an IRIB channel rather than covering the disaster.

1220 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Reports are circulating that Mir Hossein Mousavi's 2009 Presidential campaign coordinator Mir Taher Mousavi has been arrested at a Tehran airport as he returned from Turkey.

1215 GMT: Earthquake Watch. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi has arrived in East Azerbaijan Province to visit areas affected by Saturday's earthquakes.

Rahimi said the Government will try to rebuild and repair homes within two months.

1121 GMT: Foreign Affairs Watch (Syrian Front). A discussion on Al Jazeera English this weekend about the Iranian perspective and manoeuvres on Syria --- there is some useful context from Paul Rogers of Britain's Bradford University and a statement of the opposition stance by the Syrian National Council's Khalid Saleh, but this may be overshadowed by the striking declaration from Tehran University's Seyed Mohammad Marandi, around the 8:35 mark, "A year-and-a-half has passed, and nothing really has happened":

1113 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Pan-Iranist member Omid Dehdarzadeh has been arrested in a raid of his home in Ahvaz.

1049 GMT: Earthquake Watch. ISNA reports 32 after-shocks this morning, including one of 4.7 on the Richter scale, in northwestern Iran.

As President Ahmadinejad arrives in Saudi Arabia for the summit of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Aftab asks, "What is more important? Pilgrimage to Medina or earthquake in Azerbaijan?"

0944 GMT: Religion Watch. Opposition website Rah-e Sabz claims police have banned Sunnis from holding prayer ceremonies for Eid al-Fatr, the ceremony marking the end of Ramadan, in Tehran.

0942 GMT: Clerical Intervention. Ayatollah Dastgheib has sent a message to Basij militia, Revolutionary Guards, and other security forces: "Beating people to death cannot be labeled as unintended murder."

0941 GMT: Foreign Affairs Watch (Syrian Front). According to Al-Arabiya, the Free Syrian Army, holding 48 Iranians seized near Damascus last week, has asked families of "Iranian prisoners" to stop their support for the Syrian regime.

The insurgents also claimed that they had repelled two attempts to free the men.

0936 GMT: The Earthquakes. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has admonished the State broadcaster IRIB, accused of ignoring Saturday's two earthquakes, to be more responsive to victims.

0829 GMT: All the President's Men. Ten MPs, including prominent critics of the Government Ali Motahari and Elyas Naderan, have asked Speaker Parliament Ali Larijani to use the Constitution to dismiss Presidential advisor Saeed Mortazavi.

A court has ordered the suspension of Mortazavi from official duties because of his alleged role in the abuses and killings at the Kahrizak detention centre in summer 2009, but the Ahmadinejad Government has defied the demand, named Mortazavi as head of the Social Security Fund.

0812 GMT: Rumour of the Day. Iran News Network claims that two former Ministers have asked for a staff from the Executive, legislative, and judicial branches to manage the country, effectively taking power from the Government.

Radio Farda suggests the two ex-Ministers could be Iran Inspector General and former Minister of Interior Mostafa Pourmohammadi and former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

0804 GMT: Foreign Affairs Watch (Turkish Front). The Foreign Ministry has criticised Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc for his remarks last Thursday that Ankara would do "what is required" to deal with Tehran's "disturbing behaviour" beyond the Syrian crisis.

Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tehran and Ankara have different viewpoints regarding Syria, but divisive remarks should not be made over the issue. He rejected allegations that the insurgent Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) has re-entered a camp inside Iran for operations against Turkey.

0800 GMT: The Earthquakes. Minister of Health Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi has said this morning that the death toll from the two earthquakes in East Azerbaijan Province in northwestern Iran is 306, with 3037 injured.

A reporter for the reformist newspaper Shargh, Solmaz Ikdar, claims that the number of dead is far higher, surpassing 1000. He said that he reached the area before emergency teams arrived and that help is disorganised.

Masoud Pezeshkian, MP for the East Azerbaijani capital Tabriz, has criticised the lack of organisation, asserting that 8000 tents have not been forwarded to victims.

The Iranian Red Crescent has said that 48,000 victims are in emergency shelters and 21,000 tents have been distributed.

0500 GMT: The exact toll from Saturday's two earthquakes in northwestern Iran is far from certain this mornings. Provincial officials had said Sunday that 300 people had died, with more than 2600 injured. However, late in the evening, Minister of Interior Mostafa Mohammad Najjar gave the figures of 227 killed with 1380 wounded.

As the situation moved from rescue to relief operations, questions grew over the handling of the disaster by Government and media. Local MPs criticised the slow response and lack of resources to help the injured and homeless, compounded by years of failure to provide adequate health care facilities. State broadcaster IRIB and some press outlets were bitterly criticised, including by other conservative publications, for their failure to mention the earthquakes and their aftermath.

This morning Press TV continues to put the news in its "Society" section, while headlining its "Iran" section with the story that a recently-free Iranian will sue the US over her five-year detention. State news agency IRNA's top article is on President Ahmadinejad's visit to Saudi Arabia for the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Fars, which had given a great deal of attention to the earthquakes, now features Ahmadinejad as well as the Supreme Leader's address to academics and researchers.

That address did not refer to the disaster and the deaths; instead, Ayatollah Khamenei dwelt on Iran leading an Islamic Awakening which was surpassing the "infertile" West. Later in the day, his office put out a statement of blessing for the dead and injured and calling for patience.