Hamas in Russia: On Monday, Hamas’s Khaled Meshal was in Moscow, a guest of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov despite protests by Israel. Meshal said there was “no prospect of peace because the Israeli leadership is a leadership of war” and added, “It’s enough that Moscow tells the world that Hamas is a movement of freedom fighters, not a terrorist group.”

Iran FM on Israel “Crazy Nation, Crazy People”: Following Ayatollah Khamenei ’s statement, “Today Palestine is the symbol of life, determination, faithfulness, diligence, and dignity,” Foreign Minister Manchour Mottaki jumped in: “Israel is a crazy nation run by crazy people. Therefore, we must prepare for the chance that Israel will do something crazy against everyone in the region: the Syrians, the Lebanese and the Palestinians.”

Israel, Hamas, and Russia: Who is in Bed with the Bear?

Palestinian Authority on Peace Talks: With the leader of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas agreeing in principle to the U.S. proposal to hold talks with Israel, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said Monday that renewed talks with Israel under US mediation must focus first and foremost on the issue of borders.

The talks are expected to begin on February 20, a senior Palestinian official told AFP on Monday. “These contacts will be aimed at creating a better climate and reaching an understanding on the borders of the Palestinian state, and they will begin on February 20. They will last three months, with the Americans negotiating directly with the two sides after determining a timetable and agreed-upon mechanisms for implementation,” the official said.

Tags: AFP, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hamas, Israel, Khaled Meshal, Mahmoud Abbas, Manoucher Mottaki, Palestinian Authority, Riad al-Maliki, Russia, Sergei Lavrov

NEW Video (19-20 October): More University Demonstrations (Tehran & Karaj)
UPDATED Iran’s Nukes: The Real Story on Vienna Talks and the Deal for Uranium Enrichment
Iran Snap Analysis: Mousavi’s Webcast Takes “National Unity” Beyond Politics
Video: Mousavi’s First Post-Election Webcast (18 October)
The Latest from Iran (19 October): Beyond Bombings, The Pressure on the Government

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2005 GMT: A look at the economy as we draw to a close today. The Iranian Parliament has passed a large portion of the Ahmadinejad Government’s proposals for reductions in subsidies on food and energy, objecting only to cuts in subsidies on medicines.

2000 GMT: We’ve posted updates on today’s Vienna talks on Iran’s nuclear programme in a separate entry.

1950 GMT: Now that the Iranian press has announced the sentencing of Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh (see 1620 GMT), the State Department has commented with further details. Spokesman Ian Kelly said that Tajbakhsh had been given 15 years in prison, clarifying the “more than 12 years” in Iranian reports. Kelly added that the US was “deeply concerned”:

Mr. Tajbakhsh poses no threat to the Iranian government or its national security. Given the groundless nature of charges against him we call on Iran to grant his immediate release. As an independent, internationally respected academic, Mr. Tajbakhsh has always sought to foster better understanding between Iran and the United States and Iran and the international community.

1850 GMT: More University Demonstrations. AUT News reports on a protest at Qazvin University today.

1800 GMT: Great Moments in Journalism. Press TV devotes several paragraphs to the “hundreds of Iranian students [who] gathered in front of the Saudi Arabian Embassy to protest the Kingdom’s policies towards Muslims” but somehow has failed to notice the thousands of students who protested at Iranian universities today.

1755 GMT: Reuters reports, from Fars News, that more than 100 members of Parliament have filed a complaint with the Iranian judiciary against opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi for “harming the image of the system”.

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Tags: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dastghaib, Ayatollah Yusuf Sane'i, Fars News, Green Path of Hope, Habibollah Asgharoladi, Hashmei Rafsanjani, Ian Kelly, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Islamic Republic News Agency, Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Jundallah, Jundullah, Kian Tajbakhsh, Manoucher Mottaki, Maziar Bahari, Mehdi Karroubi, Mehr News, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohammad Ali Jafari, Mohammad Khatami, National Unity Plan, Newsweek, Qazvin University, Reuters, Roxana Saberi, Tabnak