Iran Snapshot: Head of State TV Admits Mis-Translation of Egyptian President's Speech on Syria (Press TV)

Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Ezzatollah Zarghami, has accepted a mistake in the translation of the Egyptian president’s address to the 16th Summit of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran.

“The shortcoming was only in the one case of translating the name for Syria into Bahrain in one of the [IRIB] television channels,” Zarghami said on Sunday. He added that, while Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was addressing the summit, a technical mistake occurred during the IRIB Channel 1’s live broadcast of the speech and therefore another translator was replaced, who made the mistake.

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Remember Iran Flashback: Text of Mousavi Letter to His Supporters (13 June 2009)

The reported results of the 10th Iranians residential Election are appalling. The people who witnessed the mixture of votes in long lineups know who they have voted for and observe the wizardry of I.R.I.B [Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting] and election officials.

Now more than ever before they want to know how and by which officials this game plan has been designed. I object fully to the current procedures and obvious and abundant deviations from law on the day of election and alert people to not surrender to this dangerous plot. Dishonesty and corruption of officials as we have seen will only result in weakening the pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran and empowers lies and dictatorships.

I am obliged, due to my religious and national duties, to expose this dangerous plot and to explain its devastating effects on the future of Iran.

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The Latest from Iran (19 May): Bad Numbers for Ahmadinejad and Regime's "Islamic Awakening"

See also Iran Opinion: Turning the Islamic Republic into North Korea --- Does It Help the Situation?
Iran Special: The Nuclear Scientist, WikiLeaks, and the Executed Kickboxer
The Latest from Iran (18 May): Helping Damascus

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1622 GMT: Claim of Day. Hamed Saleh-Abadi, a journalist for the reformist Donya-e Eghtesad, reports that former President Mohammad Khatami has expressed regret for his decision to vote in March's Parliamentary elections.

According to Saleh-Abadi, Khatami said, "The political atmosphere daily becomes more restricted. My vote must have shocked society. I accept criticism for it."

Before the election, Khatami had set the conditions for participation of freedom for political prisoners, adherence to the Constitution, and free activity of political parties. Many reformists and members of the opposition refused to vote on the grounds that those conditions were not met.

1620 GMT: Picture of Day. Claimed photograph of student activist Mahdieh Golroo, leaving Evin Prison today, after 30 months behind bars:

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Iran Special: The Battle Within --- Ahmadinejad v. Rafsanjani in 5 Scenes

A trusted EA source gives us the latest from Tehran, through a series of events this past week:

SCENE 1: Hassan Rohani, an ally of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, hosts a meeting of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council. The topic is the Arab Spring, specifically the role of the Iran-led Islamic Awakening in the movements across North Africa and the Middle East.

All proceeds accordingly to plan until question-and-answer when Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of Rafsanjani, makes a statement. Hashemi, a women's right activist who has been detained on at least two occasions and still faces charges, declares --- to audible gasps from the audience --- that the Arab Spring has not been influenced by the Iranian regime but by the Green Movement. She continues with a challenge to the Republic's officials, to the Government, and even to the Supreme Leader.

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Iran Feature: The Supreme Leader Is Worried --- Three Developments You Probably Don't Know

Followers of our daily coverage of Iran will be aware of the political tensions that have gripped the Islamic Republic's establishment. Those battles, from charges of corruption to warning of a "deviant current" affecting the Government, will only grow in intensity before next March's Parliamentary elections.

Yet EA sources have given us a story that goes even farther. The core of the tale is the belief amongst many observers in Iran that, despite all the attacks upon it, the President's camp will be the winner in the elections. Whether or not that assessment is correct, the Supreme Leader's advisors are concerned.

In recent weeks, those advisors have taken several steps. Among those measures are the pursuit of a new political ally --- at least in the short-term --- to check an Ahmadinejad success at the polls in March, Ayatollah Khamenei's people are seeking out reformists to call for their participation in the elections.

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The Latest from Iran (13 September): The Danger of Half-Naked Men

See also Iran Latest: Ahmadinejad "Unilateral Pardon" for US Hikers Bauer & Fattal in 48 Hours
Iran Feature: A Guide to The Political Battle Within Tehran's Establishment
Iran MediaFail: America's NBC News Proudly Presents "A Day in the Life of Ahmadinejad"

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2110 GMT: Denial of the Day. According to Fars, via Khabar Online, President Ahmadinejad's office continues to deny that 1st Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, suspected of involvement in fraud, has been dismissed.

2000 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Here's a wrinkle in the hard-line blogosphere in Iran: the blogger "Grain of Character" has asked the Supreme Leader to end his support for Presidnet Ahmadinejad and allow his istizah --- an interrogation possibly leading to impeachment -- by Parliament.

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Iran Snapshot: Ahmadinejad is Censored...By the State Broadcaster

On Wednesday, we reported that President Ahmadinejad had staged an impromptu press conference to tell journalists that, while he was maintaining silence about the recent arrests of his allies (though he made sure to declare they were "politically motivated"), there was a "red line" against any imposition on the work of the Cabinet. In other words, no detentions of his inner circle....

There is a significant sequel. 

When the State broadcaster IRIB showed Ahmadinejad's remarks, it cut out the passage about the "red line". Not only has the President's staff set the record straight on his official website, they have posted the original, uncut video.

Iran Document: Regime's Broadcaster Blames Itself for Post-Election Protest (ICHRI)

The report says that the “premature announcement of election results, prior to preparing public opinion, was a mistake in the national media’s news coverage...considering voting hours ended at 22:00 on the night of 12 June, and the initial results (announcing [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad’s victory) were reported (after counting 61% of the votes) at 2:47 a.m. the next day .”

The report finds that “announcing election results with such speed was almost unprecedented". The report implicitly blames the IRIB’s performance during the vote count, as one of the factors contributing to widespread street protest.

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The Latest from Iran (8 November): Talks, Threats, and Sanctions

2050 GMT: Talking Tough (US Edition). The chest-puffing of loud but tangential Senator Lindsay Graham that the US should act against Tehran "not to just neutralize their nuclear program, but to sink their navy, destroy their air force, and deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard" has not only prompted a torrent of Chicken Little sky-is-falling chatter in Washington circles. It has, equally predictably, brought counter-chest-puffing from the Iranian regime.

Revolutionary Guard Commander Masoud Jazayeri has announced that the US does not know that it is Iran's hostage in the region, while Iran Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei differs: Washington does know about Tehran's clout.

2045 GMT: Talking Tough. Brigadier-General Ahmad Reza Radan, the Deputy Commander of Iran's police, has said violators must be dealt with before start of subsidy cuts.

Radan's declaration is in sharp contrast to the assurance by the Minister of Interior last week that subsidy cuts are a "popular issue and we don't need security measures".

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Iran Video: State Media Exposes Evil, Godless Facebook

IRIB 1, the main Iranian channel, gives you the truth about Facebook: