1015 GMT: Navy Watch. In an effort to reinforce its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian navy has installed a new base near the southern port of Bandar-e Lengeh.
0827 GMT: Currency Watch. The Government has insisted that it will return Iran to a single official exchange rate, after a fall of more than 70% in the value of the Rial led to multiple rates.
The official rate remains at 12260 Rials to the US dollar, set early this year, but the Rial fell on the open market to close to 40000:1 in September when the Government intervened, shutting down news of the open-market rate and threatening "illegal" vendors with arrest.
At the same time, the Central Bank set up a "trade room", where importers of some goods could get access to foreign currency at a rate discounted versus that in official exchange offices. That rate is 25100:1 today.
Critics have claimed that only some preferred customers have been able to get access to the trade room, while movement of dollars and other foreign currencies has been curbed sharply because of the restrictions on the open market.
0817 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. The Government's response to the Parliamentary pressure on the President? A brief statement that the Cabinet met on Sunday to "review the country's most important administrative issues."
0722 GMT: War Watch. An Israeli TV programme, broadcast today, will claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave orders for the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities,but were blocked by the head of the Israel Defense Force and the Mossad intelligence service.
At the end of a meeting of seven senior government ministers in 2010, attended by IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi Ashkenazi and former Mossad chief Meir Dagan, Netanyahu gave an order to raise the level of preparation of Israel's security apparatus to "P Plus" --- preparation for a military strike.
According to the programme, Dagan told Netanyahu and Barak: "You are likely to make an illegal decision to go to war. Only the cabinet is authorised to decide this." Ashkenazi said the IDF was not ready and that he did not have the operational capacity to carry out the order.
0720 GMT: Economy Watch. Opposition site Kalemeh highlights one of the issues behind the effort to question President Ahmadinejad in Parliament, claiming a 10-fold increase in imports of wheat as the Government fails to buy the output of domestic producers.
0640 GMT: Sunday's political news broke suddenly with the announcement that Parliament is again considering the questioning of President Ahmadinejad over economic and currency issues.
Last month, an effort backed by 102 MPs to interrogate the President was blocked, with leading politicians --- including those linked to the Supreme Leader's office --- expressing opposition. However, on Sunday, a petition signed by 77 MPs was presented in the Majlis. The reason for the sudden change in Parliament's consideration of the motion is unclear: perhaps it is linked to Ahmadinejad's public clash with the head of judiciary last week, perhaps not.
In any case, the "interrogation" is not that serious at this point. If the Majlis agrees to the petition, Ahmadinejad has a month to answer questions, which include challenges to the Government's policies and actions over the currency crisis, imports, and domestic production. Then, if the President refuses to co-operate or if his answers are deemed unsatisfactory, moves may be taken leading to Ahmadinejad's impeachment.
Given that there are only eight months before the 2013 Presidential election and Ahmadinejad's departure from office, that is a closing window for action. Instead, any Parliamentary pressure should be seen more as an effort to ensure that Ahmadinejad and his allies are curbed in their attempts to claim future authority and influence.
Posted via email from lissping
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