June 16th, 2009 // comments (0)

Day Three: Iranian Protests Continue Despite Media Blackout

Tehran Bureau is back up. I suggest following either that link or this one which will lead you to Andrew Sullivan’s non-stop-Iranian-chaos-blogathon. I’ll keep this post updated with the latest and greatest as the day progresses.

This post will be updated throughout the day with news on this story. (All Times Central)

11:35AM: More info about the press blackout at HotAir.com.

Obama’s latest remarks above… he’s walking the…

June 15th, 2009 // comments (0)

Chaos In Iran – Protests Rage After ‘Rigged’ Election

There are several great resources to catch the latest information on the aftermath of what appears to be a rigged election in Iran. Tehran Bureau is doing most of the hard round-it-up legwork so here’s a link in that direction. Their Sunday update was incredibly informative. Here’s a tidbit:

Also from my balcony facing north into the mountains, people are on their rooftops shouting “marg bar diktator” and “allaho akbar” [“Death to

…

June 5th, 2009 // comments (0)

Iran’s Coming Election: Things Are Heating Up In Persia

There’s a lot of new angles to this Iranian election. Much to Ahmadinejad’s horror, there’s an actual contender. Former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi is a pal of Mahmoud’s foe Mohammad Khatami and he’s giving the President a run for his money. Though the campaign has been a bit boring at points, last night a debate between the two main contenders was rife with action. Watch the translated Iranian presidential debate below and keep…

May 11th, 2009 // comments (0)

Roxana Saberi Released – U.S. Jounalist Set To Flee Iran

Roxana Saberi is free. An Iranian court swapped her eight year sentence for a two year suspended term and released her a few hours later. Truthfully, the court didn’t have much of a choice. Even Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad seemed uncomfortable with the entire fiasco. He was the one who called on the court to revisit this case so he wouldn’t have to continue deflecting criticism.

Saberi has been reunited with her…

April 22nd, 2009 // comments (0)

Conspiracy Theories In Iran: Top Official Questions 9/11 Facts

George Stephanopoulos is in Iran recording an interview with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He just wrote this fantastic blog about the interview and his day in general. One of the more interesting (and there are several) tidbits in the story is this exchange Stephanopoulos had with a senior administration official in Iran.

Out the door again at 8:00am for a meeting with President Ahmadinejad’s press adviser, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a polite and smiling

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April 21st, 2009 // comments (0)

Misinformation In Iran: Ahmadinejad Welcomed Home – Update: Additional Videos Added

Take a look at that epic walkout video from yesterday and tell me where the ‘standing ovation‘ part begins. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received a ‘sensational welcome‘ home if you are to believe the Iranian press. Iranian bloggers seem to disagree with the state media, they call the appearance an ‘embarrassment‘. Then again, they can be dealt with as well.

Update: There’s some controversy over the ’standing ovation’ line.…

April 20th, 2009 // comments (1)

The Ahmedinejad Walkout: Western Envoys Leave En Mass

It’s been a tough day for Ahmedinejad. Not only was the Iranian President heckled by some random guy in a clown wig, tons of western diplomats walked out on him as well. I read this story on the wires earlier but didn’t think much of it until I saw the video below. The spark that set them off was when Ahmedinejad called Israel a ‘racist’ regime. Keep an eye out for the…

April 20th, 2009 // comments (1)

Clown-Wigged Protester Interrupts Ahmadinejad’s U.N. Speech

Some people throw shoes, others throw what MSNBC called a ’soft red object’. A protester, wearing a multi-colored clown wig, interrupted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s speech to the U.N. Racism Conference just moments ago. The United States and several other western nations are avoiding the conference because of what they see as anti-Israel language in the meeting’s draft document. Below is a video of the incident and detainment of the mystery clown…

April 18th, 2009 // comments (0)

Roxana Saberi Sentenced To Prison In Iran

First, Iranian officials charged American-born journalist Roxana Saberi with buying wine, an act which is illegal in Iran. Then, they decided to charge her with ‘illegally reporting’ in Iran. Now, she’s been tried and convicted of ‘espionage’ by a judge in Tehran. She will be forced to serve eight years in the infamous Evin Prison and there’s some chatter suggesting that, though in a weak state, she may begin a hunger…

March 20th, 2009 // comments (0)

So Much For ‘Smart’ Diplomacy

Yet again, this morning, President Obama reached out to the Iranian people and their government. And yet again those Iranian leaders gave the President the cold shoulder.

Iran’s supreme leader said Friday that world powers had been persuaded they could not block Iran’s nuclear progress — making no mention of a warm new-year’s message sent by President Obama to his country, Reuters reported.

Neither Ayatollah Ali Khamenei nor Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

…

March 6th, 2009 // comments (0)

Shoe Tossed At Iran’s Ahmadinejad

Somehow I doubt this will get the ink and attention given to al-Zaidi but I’m sure there are many Iranians who would have loved to see this happen in person.

When the Iraqi journalist, Muntazar al-Zaidi, hurled his shoes at the then-US president, George Bush, in December, Iranian officials declared him a hero and hailed his gesture as a mark of Islamic courage.

They were presumably less impressed this week when Iran’s

…

March 2nd, 2009 // comments (0)

Iran Arrests American Journalist

Her ‘crime’? She was allegedly reported for ‘trying to purchase’ wine.

A US journalist has been arrested and detained in Iran, apparently after being reported to the authorities for buying a bottle of wine.

Roxana Saberi, 31 – who has worked for the BBC – was taken into custody more than a month ago, according to her Iranian-born father. Her whereabouts are unknown and it is unclear whether she is still being held.

…

January 30th, 2009 // comments (0)

White House Denies Iran Draft Letter

It’s possible the Guardian took a gamble, guessing one existed:

“Neither the president nor the secretary of State has requested or seen such a letter,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said a few minutes ago when he was asked about a Guardian report that the State Department is drafting a letter to Iran “aimed at unfreezing U.S.-Iranian relations.”

January 28th, 2009 // comments (0)

Dear Iran: Obama Drafts Letter

The Guardian’s ‘Revealed’ headline is a bit misleading but… still:

Obama administration officials have drafted a letter to Iran from the president aimed at unfreezing US-Iranian relations and opening the way for face-to-face talks, the Guardian has learned.

The US state department has been working on drafts of the letter since Obama was elected on 4 November. It would be in reply to a lengthy letter of congratulations sent by the Iranian

…

January 28th, 2009 // comments (0)

Ahmadinejad’s Idea Of U.S. ‘Change’

This whole ‘talking to our enemies‘ thing is going to be tough:

“Those who say they want to make change, this is the change they should make: they should apologize to the Iranian nation and try to make up for their dark background and the crimes they have committed against the Iranian nation,” Ahmadinejad said.

Do you think President Obama should apologize to Iran?