Iran Feature: The Disappearing Interview with a US Official (Esfandiari)

The Controversial Alef ArticleSince Tuesday, we have paid close attention to the curious episode of a conservative Iranian newspaper/website, linked to leading MP Ahmad Tavakoli, announcing and then withdrawing the announcement of an interview with the State Department's Persian-language spokesperson Alan Eyre.

Golnaz Esfandiari, writing for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, summarises the developments, which came amidst confusion over Iran's forthcoming nuclear talks with the US and other powers....

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Iran Video Special: The West's Latest Subversion --- The Pink Panther

What a month for Western threats to Iran --- first, it was Facebook-organised gatherings, then it was water fights in Tehran, then it was eating watermelon....

And now it's the cartoon series The Pink Panther.

The famous pink cat, born in the 1960s, came out of retirement in 2010 with a new series, Pink Panther and Pals, on The Cartoon Network. The most serious allegation against the revived animations would seem to be that they aren't very funny, but the Iranian newspaper Alef is far more perceptive than I.

Pink Panther and His Pals would appear to be the advance force in the army of Western subversion.

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Iran Politics: Will the anti-Ahmadinejad Campaign Ease for the Holidays?

As Iran begins a four-day religious holiday today, there is likely to be an easing of news. 

But will there be an easing of pressure on President Ahmadinejad?

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Iran Eyewitness: Watching the Supreme Leader's Mission in Qom (Azadi)

This is why the trip to Qom, Khamenei's first in more than a decade, is significant: this Supreme Leader is unprecedented in trying to obtain the highest clerical status through the use of mass media. Crowds are shown welcoming him, he gives a speech to a packed square, and he is exalted through the state's broadcasting and print outlets. 

But a true Grand Ayatollah does not establish his credentials through TV, newspapers, and computer screens. His legitimacy comes from reputation and the informal declarations of followers when they are away from the video cameras. A Grand Ayatollah cannot announce his authority; it is conferred upon him by the respect of peers and worshippers.

So Khamenei can pursue his campaign in Qom, which now enters its fourth day, with more and more publicity, but he cannot succeed unless there is a shift in his reception behind closed doors as well as on the television screens.

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