Iran Live Coverage: What Happened in the Nuclear Talks in Istanbul?

See also Iran Feature: So What is The Regime's "Must Read" US Book?
Monday's Iran Live Coverage: "Sedition is On the Way"

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2055 GMT: Nuclear Watch. This entry is now a separate analysis, "Reading the Lack of Progress at This Week's Nuclear Talks".

1955 GMT: Education Watch. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the dismissal of the heads of Tehran University and Tarbiat Muddares University, Khabar Online reports.

Khabar published what it said was a letter from the President to Kamran Daneshjoo, the Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, calling for the firings.

Reports also claim Ahmadinejad is insisting on the dismissal of the head of Jahad Daneshqai University and Amir Kabir University.

An EA correspondent suggests that the reason for these requests is because the four University Presidents oppose Ahmadinjad's close confidante and advisor Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai studying for a Master's degree.

Some observers believe the Guardian Council could use Rahim-Mashai's lack of a postgraduate degree to prevent him from standing for President.

1915 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Faezeh Hashemmi, the daughter of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been released from prison after serving a six-month term.

Hashemi was detained in September on charges, imposed in 2011, of spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic. The court also banned her from political activities for five years.

1552 GMT: Reformist Watch. Reformists have published a campaign plan, supported by former President Mohammad Khatami, with the slogan of “Government of Hope, Trust, and Stability”.

1545 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Mohammad Taqi Rahbar, the Friday Prayer Leader of Isfahan, has criticised President Ahamadinejad, "His behaviour and attitude are not in any way of a Presidential status and manner, consequently the country has to pay the price of these unacceptable actions."

The cleric continued, "We have to think of ways to prevent Ahmadinejad and his government to cause any more damage to the country and Islamic Republic in these remaining months."

Mohammad Reza Bahonar, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Presidential candidate, has also lashed out at Ahmadinejad, "I am glad that I only have to tolerate him for six more months. He has caused much damages to the country."

Bahonar also added to warnings --- see Monday's Live Coverage --- about an attempt to put the President's right-hand man, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, into the office: "We should be very conscious that Ahmadinejad and his team want to have the Presidency and control over Iran for 20 years."

1542 GMT: Foreign Watch (US Front). Hardline Mashregh News has criticised Barack Obama's Iranian New Year message, given ahead of his trip to Israel this week.

Mashregh said that, rather than addressing Iranians, the US President had used the message as a platform to give a negative message --- particularly in regard to Iran's nuclear programme --in response to threats from Israel.

In his speech, Obama called on Iran to take "immediate and meaningful steps" to reduce tension with the international community, and said that Tehran had failed to convince the world that its nuclear activities were wholly peaceful.

1540 GMT: Foreign Watch (US-Israeli Front). With Scott Lucas on academic duty, Joanna Paraszczuk takes Live Coverage....

As Israel made its final preparations for President Obama's visit on Wednesday, Iran's Tabnak news agency --- close to Presidential candidate and former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezaei --- examined the US's motivations for the trip.

Tabnak interviewed Iranian Middle East analyst Dr. Hossein Royvaran, who said that Obama's behaviour was different from past US presidents because he had not made a visit to Israel during his first term in office. Royvaran said that Obama had several reasons for coming to Israel now, one being that Washington had "shifted its strategy" in view of the fact that the US was expected to concede its superpower role to China, and had therefore to rethink its approach vis-a-vis other countries including Israel.

Royvaran added that the Palestinian issue was "very important" at the present time, because the Palestinians despair at their future had exploded into public violence. Obama's visit could start a dialogue on the issue, he said.

0630 GMT: Election Watch. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has used a meeting with provincial Governors to comment on June's Presidential election.

The account of the statement offers no response to recent high-profile criticism, including on Sunday from a Revolutionary Guards commander, that Ahmadinejad and his camp will try to manipulate the vote to the point of "sedition".

Instead, the President said the high turnout of the Iranian people in the vote "will change all equations, even at the global level".

0610 GMT: Nuclear Watch. Monday's news was distinguished by an absence --- almost nothing came out of the technical, "expert" talks in Istanbul between Iran and the 5+1 Powers (US, Britain, France, Russia, Germany, and China).

Following up last month's high-level political meeting in Kazakhstan, the Istanbul discussions were supposed to work out details on the linkage between Iran's move away from enrichment of 20% uranium and Western steps such as sanctions relief. Those details would then support the resumption of high-levels negotiations on 5 April in the Kazakh capital Almaty.

Michael Mann, the spokesman for 5+1 lead negotiator and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, finally put out a basic statement that the 5+1's experts presented further information about their "revised confidence-building proposal". He said, "The meeting also provided an opportunity for both us and Iranian experts to explore each other's positions on a number of technical subjects."

In the absence of anything further, perhaps the most interesting note about Mann's statement is that it was only carried by Reuters but picked up by Iranian State media with little attempt --- at least by Press TV --- to spin the report politically.