Clinton: US Is 'Waiting and Watching' on Iran

(NEWSER) - Iranian police beat demonstrators gathered in a Tehran cemetery to mourn victims of post-election violence, including Neda Agha-Soltan—the 26-year-old whose killing was witnessed by hundreds of thousands on YouTube. A witness told Reuters that some mourners were arrested. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi defied threats from the Revolutionary Guards and tried to attend the ceremony, but he was forced back into his car minutes after arriving. More»

It may anger neocons, but he should keep his hands clean: Stephens

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama and his team clearly want to support the Iranian opposition, writes Philip Stephens, and Republicans such as John McCain have hammered the president for not condemning an election viewed as a sham. But for the Financial Times columnist, Obama is striking a shrewd balance between idealism and real-world politics. Obama knows, he writes, that "overt US backing for Mousavi would hand a weapon to Ahmadinejad." More»

Ex-PM has conservative record; change likely tough under ayatollah

(NEWSER) - Observers have heralded the candidacy of Mir Hossein Mousavi as a step toward a more moderate Iran—but in fact, Mousavi’s record shows support for some "controversial policies" in Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports. As prime minister in the 1980s, Mousavi was a social conservative, and he backs the ideals of the 1979 Islamic revolution. More»

(NEWSER) - This might seal it: Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi’s request to overturn the results of the presidential election, the Guardian reports. Khamenei, perhaps dashing Mousavi's only chance to upend an outcome the challenger claims was rigged, called Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s win a “divine assessment.” Hundreds of Mousavi protesters, meanwhile, clashed with riot police in the streets of Tehran. More»

Green Revolution muted as protests called off

(AP) - A year to the day after mass protests erupted over election fraud, Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed that Iran's opposition would "continue our peaceful methods"—but the so-called Green Revolution whose momentum threatened to topple the presidency of Mahmoud Ahamdinejad appeared muted. A mass protest planned for today was canceled amid fears of violence and the government's forceful crackdown appeared to be working. More»