Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
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Iran's Guardian Council: Ready for Recount, June 16, 1:30 p.m. IRT
After three days of protests, Iran's powerful 12-member Guardian Council says it will call for a recount of specific ballot boxes from Friday's heavily disputed elections, according to the BBC and CNN. The Associated Press is reporting that "the recount would be limited to voting sites where candidates claim irregularities occurred." The unexpected concession came as pro-government and opposition supporters planned opposing marches in Tehran on Tuesday, raising fears of more violence following at least seven deaths the day before.
Reformist Leader Mohammad Ali Abtahi Arrested, June 16, 12 p.m. IRT
The offices of reformist leader Mohammad Ali Abtahi have reported that the former Vice President has been arrested, according to Reuters. Abtahi, who backed reformist candidate Mehdi Karoubi in Friday's elections, was arrested early Tuesday morning. Reports of other opposition figures being detained have trickled out during the day.
Iran Netizens Hunt for Overseas Proxies, June 16, 10:50 a.m. IRT
As cell phones and text messaging have seen interrupted service, Web users in Iran are sending out calls for overseas proxies that can provide them with unmonitored Internet access, the WSJ's Digits blog reports. Meanwhile, Twitter responds to requests not to go through with a routine maintenance shutdown of the microblogging service, and reschedules the procedure to keep the flow of tweets from Iran coming.
AP: Seven Killed in Monday-Night Clashes, June 16, 9:45 a.m. IRT
Iran's state radio says seven people died in clashes in Tehran after an "unauthorized gathering" occurred following a mass rally over alleged election fraud. The report says the seven died in shooting that erupted after several people at the gathering on Monday night in western Tehran "tried to attack a military location." More than 100,000 opponents of President Ahmadinejad had marched through Tehran earlier on Monday protesting alleged vote-rigging in last week's elections. The report on Tuesday gave no details. It was the first official confirmation of shooting in Tehran's Azadi Square. Witnesses there saw at least one person shot dead and several others seriously wounded after shooting from a compound for volunteer militia linked to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard. — AP
Official: Ahmadinejad Goes to Security Summit in Russia, June 16, 9 a.m. IRT
AFP reports that President Ahmadinejad landed early Tuesday morning in Yekaterinburg, Russia, to attend a regional security conference.
NIAC: Iran Parliament Sets Up Committee to Investigate Violence, June 16, 8:30 a.m. IRT
The National Iranian American Council has blogged that Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran's parliament, has established a special committee to investigate the violent events that have unfolded across the nation since the election.
Andrew Sullivan: The Resistance Manifesto, June 16, 5:55 a.m. IRT
Andrew Sullivan posts on the Daily Dish a seven-point manifesto that was reportedly being distributed in the resistance on Monday. The manifesto calls for, among other things, the removal of Khameini from the post of Supreme Leader and for Ayatullah Montazeri to step in until a new constitution is established.
Martyrs May Give Demos Momentum, June 15, 10:09 p.m. IRT
The BBC has confirmed the death of at least one protester and injuries to several more, after security forces opened fire on Monday's massive protest in Tehran against the theft of the election. (To see a photo from one of the incidents, click here. Be warned that the photo contains graphic content.) Although the authorities have been trying to tamp down the protests, partly by agreeing to hear complaints about the conduct of the election from opposition candidates, firing on crowds could have the exact opposite effect. As Trita Parsi noted below, those who protested today took to the streets despite warnings that live ammunition may be used against them. He believes they've lost their fear. And the problem for the authorities is that making martyrs out of demonstrators gives the protest movement its own momentum: regardless of the state of the investigation into the election, the victims have to be buried. Their funerals become the new locus of protest, and their killings are added to the theft of the election as a new source of escalating outrage. —Tony Karon
Click center arrow to watch footage of today's rally.