The Latest from Iran (15 June): Politics and Corruption

Nikahang Kowsar;s Ahmadinejad promises, "I will disclose the source of corruption," to which the Supreme Leader asks, "Will you please stop this?"

See also Israel 1st-Hand: "Imagine if Iran Were in the West Bank!"
Remember Iran Flashback: 15 June 2009 --- The March of the Millions
The Latest from Iran (14 June): Tough Talk Based on Bad Economics

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1005 GMT: Prisoner Watch. Dissident filmmaker Mohammad Reza Nourizad was arrested on Thursday and released after 12 hours in solitary confinement.

Nourizad was imprisoned for several months for letters he sent to the Supreme Leader. An activist sees the latest detention as a punishment for the filmmaker's remarks on a Voce of America broadcast.

0935 GMT: Oil Watch. The Japanese legislature's lower house has passed a bill to provide government guarantees on insurance for tankers carrying Iranian oil, mitigating the effect of European sanctions beginning 1 July.

The bill will now be sent to the upper house, where opposition parties have the majority but have signaled their support. It will become law by 27 June 27 if passed.

The Japanese government wants to provide coverage of up to $7.6 billion for each tanker. The EU sanctions include a ban on European insurance firms, who have provided the coverage, from continuing the provision for Iran's exports.

Japan has cut the Iranian import this year, succeeding in getting a waiver from U.S. financial sanctions, but wants to avoid more drastic reductions.

Iranian oil accounted for 9% of Japanese supplies.

0632 GMT: Economy Watch. Aftab reports that 28 factories in the cotton industry have been shut down and "turned into parking lots" because of high production costs.

0623 GMT: Economy Watch. We noted yesterday that Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani had travelled to the religious city of Qom to meet Grand Ayatollahs.

And what was the topic of conversation? Khabar Online says that Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi told Larijani that the "biggest problems of people are the high prices caused by inflation".

Grand Ayatollah Javadi Amoli said 80% of Iranian are suffering from the economic problems and added that the Islamic Republic is "alive only with the prayers of the Hidden Imam". Grand Ayatollah also criticised "rampant price rises".

Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani joined the other clerics in declaring that MPs should not be silent about people's rights.

0621 GMT: Three Years Ago Today. A memorial in Kermanshah Cemetery for university student Kianoush Asa, killed by a gunshot to the neck during the mass march of 15 June 2009:

0615 GMT: Economy Watch. Khosrow Kasayian, the head of Isfahan Province's Chamber of Commerce, has warned that 70% of businesses are in crisis because of subsidy cuts.

0605 GMT: Three Years Ago Today. Two men climb on the iconic monument in Azadi Square to write, "Only Mousavi, Oh Hussein (the 3rd Imam of Shi'a), Mir Hossein (Mousavi), and Only Mousavi".

Our "Remember Iran Special --- Three Years Ago" continues today.

0455 GMT: Iranian officials are continuing to put out the line on next Monday's nuclear talks in Moscow that they hope the "West" will "adhere to the agreements" --- i.e., accept Tehran's proposals as the basis for discussion --- at previous negotiations in Istanbul and Baghdad. So we switch to a different topic....

President Ahmadinejad's speech on Sunday, criticising the "bigheads" who have spread "lies and slander" about him, continues to make ripples in the Islamic Republic. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly thtreatened to bring out documents that name his rivals for their corruption, and observers are reading his speech as another warning.