Word: iranians
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...founder, Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini. Though situated on a desolate piece of desert convenient only if you're headed to the international airport, the enormous scaffolding-enclosed shrine, still under construction 20 years after the Supreme Leader's death, is an essential part of the pilgrimage for devout Iranian Shi'ites...
Therein lies the predicament for the regime. It has cast the street demonstrations as a supposedly Western-led, secular velvet revolution. But Shi'ites, who are the overwhelming majority of Iranian Muslims, believe that only an Imam's surviving lineage can accurately interpret his ideology. So to have so many Khomeinis jump ship set off alarms for the ruling hard-liners...
...revelations that Iran had concealed a secret uranium-enrichment facility near the holy city of Qum, the U.S. began working international back channels to gauge support among its allies for a fresh round of sanctions against Tehran. While the U.S. and U.N. have sanctions in place against the Iranian finance sector as well as travel and trade restrictions, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Obama Administration was investigating how to "broaden and deepen" the measures, while Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted the menu of potential punishments was a "pretty rich list to pick from" - including the suspension of investments...
...those challenges are converging, tightening the squeeze on the regime. Over the weekend, Iran's new opposition chose sides in the nuclear debate - and sided with the world. "The Iranian Green Movement does not want a nuclear bomb, but instead desires peace for the world and democracy for Iran," said a statement issued by filmmaker and opposition spokesman Mohsen Makhmalbouf. "The Green Movement in Iran furthermore understands the world's concerns and in fact has similar concerns itself...
...Further tests of longer-range missiles are expected in the days running up to the historic meeting between American, French, British, Russian, Chinese and German diplomats and their Iranian counterparts...