The Latest from Iran (3 February): The Supreme Leader's Friday Prayer

Minister of Education Haji Babaei and the Cardboard Imam (see 1741 GMT)

See also Iran Snap Analysis: The Supreme Leader --- Strong Abroad, Weak at Home
Iran Feature: How Tehran's "Islamic Awakening" Lost Its Arab Spring
The Latest from Iran (2 February): Will There Be Protests on 25 Bahman?

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1800 GMT: Food Watch. Up to five vessels, out of 10 ships waiting off Iran for up to three weeks with 400,000 tonnes of grain, have now diverted to Qatar, the UAE, and Singapore.

The ships could not or would not off-load their cargoes because of payment difficulties amidst US-led sanctions.

"There is no prohibition on discharging cargoes (in Iran) but they can't because they have not been paid. Some will be trying to find other buyers now," a trade source said.

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Iran Special: The Battle Within --- Ahmadinejad v. Rafsanjani in 5 Scenes

A trusted EA source gives us the latest from Tehran, through a series of events this past week:

SCENE 1: Hassan Rohani, an ally of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, hosts a meeting of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council. The topic is the Arab Spring, specifically the role of the Iran-led Islamic Awakening in the movements across North Africa and the Middle East.

All proceeds accordingly to plan until question-and-answer when Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of Rafsanjani, makes a statement. Hashemi, a women's right activist who has been detained on at least two occasions and still faces charges, declares --- to audible gasps from the audience --- that the Arab Spring has not been influenced by the Iranian regime but by the Green Movement. She continues with a challenge to the Republic's officials, to the Government, and even to the Supreme Leader.

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