2135 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Influential MP Ahmad Tavakoli, a prominent critic of the President, has denied that he asked Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to stand for election in 2005. He says instead that he stepped aside in favour of a candidacy by Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, now Mayor of Tehran.
Ahmadinejad claimed in a speech last week that a number of important conservative and principlist figures implored him to run for President.
Tajik was arrested in June 2010 and charged with acting against national security, propagating against the regime, and collaborating with the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights, co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi.
Tajik has worked for several reformist newspapers.
Sketch of Manssor Arbabsiar at Court HearingIn the [US] complaint, the closest to a semblance of evidence that Arbabsiar sought help during that first meeting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador is the allegation, attributed to the DEA informant, that Arbabsiar said he was "interested in, among other things, attacking an embassy of Saudi Arabia".
Among the "other things" was almost certainly a deal on heroin controlled by officers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Three Bloomberg reporters, citing a "federal law enforcement official", wrote that Arbabsiar told the DEA informant he represented Iranians who "controlled drug smuggling and could provide tons of opium".
Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of FBI Robert Mueller set out the allegations of the Iran-backed plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the US
1810 GMT: Space Watch. Sad news from Iran --- the monkey died.
Last week, we reported that Iran had indefinitely postponed plans to send a live monkey into space, without giving any reasons. Hamid Fazeli, head of Iran's Space Organisation, said, "One cannot give a set date for this project and as soon as our nation's scientists announce the readiness, it will be announced."
The rest of the story came out today. Deputy Science Minister Mohammad Mehdinejad-Nouri said, "The Kavoshgar-5 rocket carrying a capsule with a live animal was launched during Shahrivar (23 August to 22 September). However, the launch was not publicised as all of its anticipated objectives were not accomplished.
Mehdinejad-Nouri insisted that the launch of a live animal into space was "strategic, and a priority".
1800 GMT: Supreme Leader Watch. More on Ayatollah Khamenei's speech in Kermanshah today....
The Supreme Leader gave this advice to the Iranian people for Parliamentary elections: "Vote for those who are not connected to the centres of power and wealth".
Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani1. Where did Iranian-American Manssor Arbabsiar meet his contacts from the Quds Force of the Revolution Guards? In the US?
2. Qods boss [Qasem] Soleimani reports directly to [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei, so has Iran's Leader ordered this scenario?
3. Why does a 56 year old Iranian from Texas think he can contact drugs cartels in Mexico without being noticed by the FBI?
4. Why would loco Mexican assassins want their hit money wired into their bank account by an Iranian? No cash?
5. What would be Iran's gain in assassinating the Saudi Ambassador to the US?