Iran Focus – Op-Ed by Mahmood Delkhasteh: The gap between the reformist leaders of the Green movement and its supporters began to show itself when the initial question ‘where is my vote?’ was replaced by the chant: ‘freedom, independence, Iranian republic’.
Iran’s Green movement moves to bypass its leaders
Iran jails Getty photographer for three years: website
AFP: Iran has sentenced a freelance photographer for Getty Images photo agency to three years in prison for taking pictures of 2009 election protests, an opposition website reported on Sunday.
Baghdad suicide bombers kill 26 in crowded street
AFP: Suicide bombers in two cars killed 26 people and wounded 53 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Sunday when they drove down a crowded street and blew themselves up simultaneously, security officials said.
False claims underscore fragility of regime
Iran Focus – Editorial: Iran’s state TV on 17 June aired “confessions” by two unidentified individuals who it claimed were “terrorists” linked to the main opposition group People’s Mojahedin (PMOI). The supposed confessions exposed the regime’s remarkable political lapses.
Iran’s new spymaster
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jun. 20 – An Iranian cleric who is little known in the West is heading an intelligence operation that was formed only last year to counter political unrest, and which has rapidly become the Tehran regime’s main security force.
Iran hangs Jundollah leader Abdolmalek Rigi
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jun. 20 – The leader of the Sunni dissident group Jundollah, Abdolmalek Rigi, was hanged at dawn on Sunday in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, the Judiciary announced.
Clashes continue in Tehran on anniversary of Neda murder
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jun. 20 – At 14.30 local time on Sunday, police and plain-clothes agents clashed with about 500 people who were chanting “death to the dictator” outside Polytechnic (Amir Kabir) University in central Tehran.
Iran claims to have arrested 6 over bomb attack
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jun. 20 – The local head of the judiciary in the northern province of Mazandaran said six people were arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents in connection with an attempt by members of the opposition People’s Mojahedin (PMOI) to plant bombs in several cities in the province, the state-run Jahan news website reported on Saturday.
Gates sees potential in Iran economic sanctions
Reuters: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday that targeted economic sanctions on Iran had “real potential” to pressure Tehran to halt its nuclear program.
US envoy cautions Pakistan over Iran gas deal
AP: The U.S. warned Pakistan that a recently signed gas pipeline deal with Iran could run afoul of new sanctions being finalized in Congress, the U.S. special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan said Sunday.
