This Woman May Take Down Ahmadinejad

But female ministers are hardliners, unlikely to please reformers

(NEWSER) - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today he would nominate three women to join his cabinet, reports the Guardian, attempting to soften his image after the brutal crackdowns following his disputed re-election. The decision is significant in a country where just eight of 290 MPs are female. But the two women whose names have been announced are hardliners and unlikely to please reformists. More»

Battle for Iran moves from the streets to corridors of power

(NEWSER) - Two weeks after Iran's allegedly rigged presidential election, the regime's clampdown has hardened and left opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with few avenues for protest. The New York Times reports that shouts of "God is great" and "Death to the dictator" continue to echo at night in Tehran, but open defiance in the streets has waned. Many analysts now think Mir Hossein Mousavi will have to turn to the establishment, rather than the streets, to win power. More»

Pro-regime papers may be laying ground for new crackdown

(NEWSER) - Several Iranian newspapers sympathetic to the regime have published articles blaming Mir Hossein Mousavi for recent violence, reports the Telegraph. The papers demand that the opposition leader be arrested for treason, a strategy that may be part of an effort to strengthen the position of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, the Iranian intelligence services accused "a presidential candidate" of "a plot against national security" and alleged he had ties to foreign governments. More»

Protests are weakening Khamenei's grip on Iranian regime

(NEWSER) - The about-face done by Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—first blessing the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Friday's election then opening an inquiry into vote fraud yesterday—was a rare misstep for the shadowy, usually cautious ayatollah, the New York Times reports, and may have done substantial damage to his reputation, as well as incited protesters. "Now the myth that there is a leader up there whose power is unquestionable is broken," one Iranian author tells the Times. More»

(NEWSER) - Iran arrested more than 100 opposition members as clashes between anti-government protesters and police continued today, the New York Times reports. Opposition candidates Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi called for yesterday’s disputed election, which saw incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win easily, to be overturned. Mousavi backers called for a march tomorrow, asking "mullahs to give fatwas that Ahmadinejad is not our president," Reuters and ABC News report. More»