At the end of a soccer match last evening in the stadium in Hafezieh Street in Shiraz (capital of the southern province of Fars), some 20,000 spectators staged an anti-government demonstration, chanting slogans against the regime.

During extensive clashes the State Security Forces tried to disperse the crowd by using truncheons and firing tear gas canisters.

The demonstrators confronted the suppressive Guards by throwing bricks and stones at them. At least seven government and SSF vehicles and several of the regime’s centers, including a bank, were heavily damaged.

In these clashes, at least 49 protesters were arrested and 15 wounded, a number of whom are reported to be in serious condition.
 

Mullahs Mobilize against New Unrest, Agence France Presse, November 7

TEHRAN - Students from Iran’s hardline Basiji volunteer militia warned against a repetition of July’s student unrest, the worst here since the 1979 Islamic revolution, the conservative Abrar newspaper reported Sunday.

"The secular movement intends to unify its student allies for a new wave of unrest," Abrar said, quoting Basiji students.

The paper did not say what "secular movement" the Basiji students were referring to, but said their main objective would be "to create political instability and chaos in the country."

During the riots in Tehran, which also spread to the provincial capital of Tabriz, three people were killed, according to official figures.
 

Bleak Prospect of Dealing with Mullahs, State-Controlled Daily Iran News, November 2

The general euphoria at… Khatami's… visit to France has been short-lived in the wake of the political dilemma and pressing economic issues that must be solved before we are truly able to embark on the road to prosperity and security.

The French connection has so far cost a cool $1 billion, the sum required to purchase four Airbuses and one hundred locomotives for Iran's railway network…

We realize that short of a miracle we cannot please Germany, France, Switzerland and countless other governments who are promoting our return to the global economy at a price. We are not made of the stuff, even though we're sitting on a lake of gold.

The Iran-Germany-sponsored two-day venue and seminar on export promotion to Germany was successfully staged at the Iran Export Promotion Center. The only drawback was that every aspect and deficiency of the Iranian industrial sector was targeted: lack of expertise, lack of raw materials, difficult and impractical regulations, cumbersome customs procedures, lack of long-term policies, you name it, a bleak prospect even for the most ardent enthusiast to invest in Iran. It was probably something of an epilog and moratorium on foreign investment or joint venture with Iran….
 

Khatami’s Foreign Minister Calls Washington’s Offer "Meaningless", Agence France Presse, November 8

TEHRAN - Iran’s foreign minister said Monday that talks between Tehran and Washington were "meaningless" as long as the United States maintained its hostile stance towards Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"The US must prove its sincerity by changing its hostile attitude," the Iranian official said.

In reality, when Washington says "unconditional talks" it means the opportunity to express its opinion on Iran’s stance regarding various issues, Kharazi said.

The Iranian minister said that as long as "serious measures" are not taken to change the prevailing atmosphere between the two countries, "there is no room for an improvement in relations." "This is a political reality," he added.

The Iranian official also rejected calls for mediation, stressing that this could only take place if countries could "convince the US to change its attitude."

In late October, US State Department spokesman James Rubin called for unconditional and "face-to-face" talks.

On Wednesday, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the US embassy seizure here, Iran’s supreme leader Aytaollah Ali Khamenei warned that improving relations with the United States would be a mistake.

During Thursday’s celebrations conservatives burned US flags and chanted "Death to America," but reformists criticized the demonstration, and held their own separate commemoration.

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