For the first time in thirty-one years, Iranians across the world and across the political spectrum welcomed the anniversary of the Islamic revolution in 1979 as an opportunity to assert their sovereignty. The result may not have been what most of them wished for, but their expectation was justified in one respect: 11 February 2010 has indeed turned out to be a defining moment for the Islamic Republic and the “green movement”, as well as for the international community.
The manner in which the regime enforced control and the huge cost of its operation confirm that it recognises its failure to command genuine popular support. But the greens too now recognise the limits of their capacity, not least that their dependence on domestic communication-networks to mobilise their supporters makes them vulnerable. As a result they understand that it is time to refocus their efforts: to propose more defined ideas, to articulate ultimate goals, to refine tactics, and to establish other (non-internet-based) means of communication.
1345 GMT: No Thanks on Nukes. Looks like Tehran will maintain a tough posture on talks on uranium enrichment. On Monday, President Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the continuing Turkish effort to broker a third-party enrichment deal, but today the Iranian Foreignj Ministry spokesman said No, Thank You: “Turkey wants to play a role in solving the nuclear issue … But we don’t think our transparent views needed to be interpreted by other countries.”
1330 GMT: Peykeiran is reporting that several hundred students are protesting at Tehran University. The demonstration is occurring despite a warning from universities’ authorities that any protesters would be “dealt with”.
1200 GMT: The Tehran prosecutor’s office says 86 of the 204 arrested on 16 Azar have been released.
1015 GMT: Complementing our own discussion of the significance of 16 Azar, Nazenin Ansari writes on OpenDemocracy about “Iran’s Pre-Revolutionary Rupture”: “The continuing, defiant protest-wave in Iran accentuates the ferocious crisis of legitimacy at the regime’s heart. The epic events of 2009 are at a historic turning-point.” (hat-tip to an EA reader for bringing this to our attention)
0920 GMT: Students, Don’t Even Think About It. Fars News reports that Tehran University authorities have declared that any student gathering today is “illegal” and “will be dealt with”.
0915 GMT: Rumour of Day – Khamenei Disappears to “Secret Place”. Israel National News thinks it has an exclusive from “an activist in the global Iranian pro-democracy movement”:
I am told that Khamenei was taken to a secret place to monitor the situation and perhaps for his safety, and a helicopter was ready with a pilot in it to perhaps fly him out to Russia if the situation got out of hand. I am also told that prominent clergy went to meet with him hoping to force him to show leniency
0910 GMT: Karroubi on Students and Government Violence. Mehdi Karroubi’s Tagheer website carries an interview with the cleric in which he describes university students as the “thermometer“ of society and advises security forces to “refrain from getting entangled with the people, the students, and the valuable forces of society”. and get caught up in undesirable movements.” He emphasised that the political disputes within the country are “grave” and there is a “serious solution” for them.
Karroubi also criticized President Ahmadinejad’s reported remarks that there was that the US is trying to block the return of the 12th Imam of Shi’a Islam. This has tainted the “reputation of the system and the clergy”; the world should not regard Ahmadinejad as a representative of the Iranian nation but as “merely the head of the government”. Read the rest of this entry »
1905 GMT: Tehran’s Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi says two Germans and a Canadian, detained on 13 Aban, have been released. It is unclear if the Canadian is one of the four foreign journalists who were arrested (see 1155 GMT).
1820 GMT: MediaFail of the Day. Even by the standards set by the Islamic Republic News Agency for “information”, this is Gold-Medal journalism. From Mehdi Karroubi’s son, Hossein Karroubi:
On Thursday [5 November], IRNA released an interview said to be with me which was completely false and lies. In these comments IRNA claimed that I have said Mr. Mousavi was not brave enough to attend the November 4th protest and that I have accused him of lying.
There is no need to explain that because of Mr. Mousavi’s and Mr. Karoubi’s character and of course their bravery that we know about, they will continue to lead the Green movement of Iran with unity in their actions and they will not give up until we reach the goals of the movement and eliminate the power of liars.These kinds of lies will only make the strong determination of Mr. Mousavi in fight against lies even stronger and will further prove that he has chosen his mission in this fight justly.
1725 GMT: What does “Obama, You’re With Them or You’re With Us” Mean? Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has an interesting article, “What Does Iran’s Green Movement Want from Obama?”. Assuming those interviewed are representative of the movement, the message is: 1) of course, no US interference but 2) no eagerness for a nuclear deal with the Ahmadinejad Government and 3) condemnation of Iran’s human rights abuses with inclusion of the issue in any US talks with Tehran.
1550 GMT: More on Friday Prayers (see 1145 GMT). The Los Angeles Times has a lengthy summary of today’s service in Tehran, from which a couple of interesting twists emerge. Read the rest of this entry »
Nazenin Ansari writes for Open Democracy:
1905 GMT: Tehran’s Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi says two Germans and a Canadian, detained on 13 Aban, 
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