Iran Focus: Tehran, Jul. 21 – Unlike his fellow hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Ardeshir Larijani does not perfectly fit the stereotype mould of an Iranian ultra-conservative. His expensive suit, well-groomed hair, gentle manners and soft-spoken words are a world apart from the scruffy looks, brusque behaviour and coarse language of most other scions of the Islamic Republic’s hard-line camp.
He has a reputation for being imperturbable.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jul. 21 – The head of Iran’s state-run news agency was summoned to court for questioning after ultra-conservative President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s campaign team filed a complaint against the agency for
biased reporting.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jul. 21 – The Kurdish city of Mahabad, north-west Iran, was brought under de facto martial law as the paramilitary police, the Revolutionary Guards, and plainclothes agents of the secret police, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, moved in to take control of the city after a week of unrest and deadly clashes between residents and local security forces.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jul. 21 – The Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) has suffered another plunge this week, as political uncertainty over the future of nuclear talks with Europe and growing indications of ultra-conservative figures sweeping all the key positions in the new cabinet of President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continue to frighten investors.

Iran Focus: Berlin, Jul. 20 – A diplomatic spat between Tehran and Berlin over the new ultra-conservative President-elect’s alleged involvement in terrorism became more acrimonious
on Wednesday, as Berlin responded to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s charges that it was playing a role “in a Zionist conspiracy against the Islamic Republic of Iran”.