The Latest from Iran (13 April): The Movie, The Hidden Imam, and Ahmadinejad's Right-Hand Man

2040 GMT: In an interview with RASA TV, Nooshabeh Amiri speaks about her interview with Said Tajik, the man accused of verbally assaulting Hashemi Rafsanjani's daughter Faezeh Hashemi in February.

Amiri says Tajik, who was briefly detained over the incident, was released out of fear of his supporters. She said he questioned why he had been interrogated and was "very arrogant towards the judiciary".

Amiri has also written an article in Rooz Online about the encounter.

1945 GMT: Setting the Election Rules. Conservative MP Habibollah Asgaroladi tries to set the ground rules for the 2012 Parliament elections --- those who are against the Iranian system (nezam) and the clerical supremacy of velayat-e faqih cannot run. He continues with the observation that reformists are not yet "off the record", i.e., eliminated"; they are, he says, "serious rivals" in the elections.

1820 GMT: Helpful Tips from the President. Tucked away in a brief story in the Los Angeles Times is this classic moment from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

[We] recently asked Ahmadinejad during a press conference in Tehran about the effect gas prices are having on Iranian families.

"Adjust your gas torch and fix the chimney," he said, "then if the gas bills are still too high, let us know and we'll take care of it."

1730 GMT: Economy Watch. The reformist newspaper Shargh summarises the withholding of economic indicators by Iranian agencies.

The Central Bank has not announced figures for Gross Domestic Product or economic growth in the last two years. The unemployment rate was last declared a year ago,when it stood at 14.6%.

The Ministry of Economy declared this month that unemployment was now 10% but offered no support for the figure, including an explanation for the sudden drop in the rate at a time of recession.

The newspaper added that President Ahmadinejad’s claim that 2.5 million jobs will be created this year will require economic growth of 20%. The International Monetary Fund has predicted zero economic growth for Iran this year, compared with 1% in 2010.

No one was available to comment at the Central Bank’s media affairs office or at the Statistics Center.

1530 GMT: The Movie, The Hidden Imam, and Ahmadinejad's Right-Hand Man. The story continues with perhaps the most intriguing criticism of the day....

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, often seen as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor, has warned that a Freemasonry movement is forming in Iran. This movement seeks to spread "nationalism" --- read that as an attack on Rahim-Mashai's "Iran-first" approach --- which harms Islam.

1520 GMT: Parliament v. President. Another warning to Ahmadinejad over interference with the legislature, and it comes from Asadollah Badamchian, a leading member of the conservative Motalefeh Party --- Badamchian said Government interference in next year's Parliamentary elections would destroy the independence of the Majlis.

1510 GMT: The Movie, The Hidden Imam, and Ahmadinejad's Right-Hand Man. More on Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's fierce warning to President Ahmadinejad and Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai over "The Hidden Imam" movie (see 1235 GMT) --- the cleric declared that the film's preaching of the imminent return of the Imam "is our red line" and said Iran's judiciary "should not let our faith get hurt".

And Grand Ayatollah Javadi Amoli took aim at the "Iran School", associated with Rahim-Mashai, saying that society's demands must be met by the Islam-first approach of the clergy.

1505 GMT: Where's Mahmoud? President Ahmadinejad was greeting people in Sistan and Baluchistan in southeastern Iran today. If you look closely, two places to the President's left, you might just spot his best man and former head of his office (but still Chief of Staff), Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai.

1300 GMT: Rumour of the Day (Part 2). The website of the Revolutionary Guards, Javan Online, claims that an attempt to assassinate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was foiled during the President's recent trip to central Iran.

1235 GMT: The Movie, The Hidden Imam, and Ahmadinejad's Right-Hand Man. Back to our lead story of the day (see 0600 GMT)....

Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi has called for the prosecution of the producers of the controversial "documentary" about the imminent return of the Hidden Imam (see separate video), saying they are abusing issues of faith for political purposes.

P.S. --- The producers of "Zohour Nazdik Ast" do not seem to be worried. They have announced that a Part 2 [Editor's Note: How can there be a Part 2 if the "Hidden Imam" returns in Part 1?] is being made.

1230 GMT: Rumour of the Day. Peyke Iran reports that the British Embassy in Tehran has been closed until further notice. Local employees were supposedly notified by text message on their cellphones.

1220 GMT: Threat of the Day. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi has declared that Iran has stopped refuelling "Western" aircraft in retaliation for refusals to fuel Europe-bound Iranian commercial planes.

Rahimi announced, "Iran decided immediately to strike back and banned supply of fuel to Western passenger planes landing in Iran."

No details were given of when the ban was implemented and which airlines were targetted.

0720 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Political prisoners at Rajai Shahr Prison have begun a fourth day without food in protest at poor conditions and denial of visits.

0620 GMT: Media Watch. I note the emergence of an Iranian website, Etedaal (moderation, temperance) covering economic and political news. Stories include criticism of the Government's "currency reform", taking four zeroes off the Iranian rial, and the decision of two leading Iranian wrestlers to join Azerbaijan's national team.

No confirmation who is behind the site, which started in January, but an EA correspondent judges that it is close to Parliament opponents of the Government.

0600 GMT: We start this morning with the simple question, "No smoke without fire?"

On Monday, in "The Movie, the President, and the Hidden Imam", we told the story of a movie, with distribution on CD of more than a million copies and a on-line presence, which claims to document the imminent return of the "Hidden Imam", Shia's 12th Imam. The film heralds the Supreme Leader as the head of the movement awaiting this return, with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a prophet.

The story had been around for weeks, but we were not sure of any significance: was this really going to be a political controversy, with critics of the Government --- especially of Ahmadinejad and his aide Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai --- going to argue that the President and his inner circle are backing the film? On Monday, after a press conference by the film's director,  Ali Asghar Sijani, not only repeating his claims but declaring that the Revolutionary Guards have provided part of the $15 million for the movie, we took the plunge.

This morning, it looks like we have support for that judgement --- from none other than Iran's State news agency IRNA, which also happens to be a prominent outlet for support of President Ahmadinejad.

IRNA's lead story is an interview with Sijani, in which the director makes this important point, "During my life and making of the CD, I have not seen Mr Rahim-Mashai, and I did not have any communication with any hidden political group."

Sijani continues, "What is important to me is the on-line clerical and ideological support for the Government. I see no connection between the documentary and the office of the President."