Word: iran
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...that has led to a perceived weakening of the chief nemesis of the Supreme Leader, Ayatullah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the richest men in Iran and the most powerful political force behind Mir-Hossein Mousavi. With hundreds of leading reformists and students arrested, and communication almost entirely in the hands of the government, it appears that the only way the opposition can continue is if the government loses control over the streets. But with that is a very...
...June 20, Mousavi is reported to have shown up at a rally dressed in a funeral shroud, declaring his readiness for martyrdom, a hugely emotional symbol among Shi'ite Muslims. The information was distributed by e-mail, and like most other information in Iran these days, its veracity is hard to prove. But with so much arrayed against him and his allies, martyrdom may be the most powerful weapon Mousavi has left...
...millions of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran over the past week to protest the presidential-election results, exiled opposition group the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) saw its moment. "This uprising is the result of 30 years of murder, oppression and corruption by an Iranian regime we've dedicated our entire lives to fighting," Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of foreign affairs for the Paris-based group told TIME. "Even if protesters aren't calling for [the NCRI] to take power, it's only natural that, given our organization's experience, our clandestine networks are playing an important...
...Authorities in Tehran claim that isn't the half of it. After weekend clashes between security forces and protesters pushed the official death toll from 10 to 17, Iranian police accused the NCRI and its "terrorist" supporters of fomenting the violence. As evidence, Iran said several NCRI-linked operatives had been arrested after smuggling guns and explosives into the country and carrying out "terrorist acts." On Sunday, the NCRI dismissed the story and mocked what it called the "preposterous and threadbare claims to justify the suppression and killings inside Iran." Those claims were designed, the group said, to mask...
Dramatic as all that sounds, it doesn't square with the reality described by Iran experts. Diplomats, academics and intelligence officials say most people inside Iran want nothing to do with the NCRI or its primary member organization, Mujehadine-e-Khalq (MEK) - whose bloody attacks on the Iranian regime in the 1980s and '90s landed it on the U.S.'s terrorism list. Experts say the NCRI's support in Iran is now tiny and its international base is shrinking. The NCRI and MEK, say Iran watchers, have become little more than an excuse - or handy alibi - for Tehran's crackdown...