A Daily Briefing on Iran: Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 5.24.2006:

Iran test launched its Shihab-3 just prior to Bush and Olmert meeting.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran conducted a test launch Tuesday night of the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching Israel and US targets in the region. The test came hours before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with US President George W Bush in Washington.

Russia expects unity among Perm-5 on Iran.

RIA Novosti reported that Russia's foreign minister said the talks between the EU3 negotiators, the United States, Russia and China would produce a consensus.

Taheri responds to the dress code controversy.

Amir Taheri, Benador Associates responded to queries about the dress code story in Iran.
Human Rights Watch published a report on Iran's current discriminatory legislation regarding Non-Muslims.

Iranian frustration grows with the government control over the Press.

Rooz Online reported that while the public relations director of Tehran’s revolutionary and regular judiciary have said that news dissemination must be in accordance with legal rules and be respectful to people, apparently this does not apply to Iranian dissidents.
Rooz Online reported that the hardline minister of culture of Iran expressed dissatisfaction over a number of publications and criticized their attitude towards Ahmadinejad's government. The press has been put under check by the events and unrest in the provinces.

Will November elections see the end the political life of Hashemi Rafsanjani? and the ascension of Mesbah Yazdi?

Rooz Online reported that with five months into the elections of The Experts Assembly, responsible for monitoring the performance of the leader of the Islamic regime and choosing his successor), some hardline clerics in Qom, led by reactionary ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, are determined to use this election to end the political life of Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Regime closes newspaper to calm unrest.

Yahoo News reported that the government closed one of the country's top three newspapers, detaining its editor and cartoonist for publishing a caricature that caused members of Iran's Azeri minority to riot in protest. Photo's of the demonstration.

The 911 Commission still waiting for more Al Qaeda/Iran intel?

Dan Darling, The Weekly Standard reported that there appears to have been little progress made by the U.S. intelligence community in learning more about the information brought to light by the 9/11 Commission report, despite commissioners having argued that it deserved more attention. Particularly so since most of Al Qaeda's senior operatives operate freely inside of Iran.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

The Christian Science Monitor reported that Bush's "regime change" strategy is being countered by a revival among the "realists."
Xinhua reported that Afghan ambassador to Iran denied press reports that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is to offer mediation between Iran and the United States.
The Jerusalem Post reported that China defended its nuclear cooperation with Iran following a British Broadcasting Corp. report that traced Tehran's newly announced ability to enrich uranium to Chinese assistance.