Masoud Shafaee's blog

As Saudi Troops Enter Manama, Tensions With Iran Rise

Masoud Shafaee — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:40:10 +0000

Bahrain, which is 70% Shi'aa but ruled by a Sunni monarch, has been facing large protests for weeks now, with protesters calling for vast political reforms and many demanding the dissolution of the monarchy. Given the sectarian fault-lines at play, the kingdom is wary of its Persian neighbor, and is right to be. For Iran, the island nation naturally falls within its sphere of influence. Facing mounting protests and caught between two regional rivals -- one Shi'aa and one Sunni -- the kingdom has decided to call in a Saudi-led GCC force 2,000 to help quell the uprising.

What International Sanctions and the IAEA's November Report Can Mean, Going Forward

Masoud Shafaee — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:35:47 +0000

The Washington Post reports:

A Post-Montazeri Iran

Masoud Shafaee — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:06:22 +0000

The New York Times reports:

The web sites of the clerics, Grand Ayatollah Yusuf Sanei and Grand Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani, who are both “sources of emulation,” the highest clerical rank in Shiite Islam, were first reported blocked by news sites linked with Iran’s political opposition movement on Sunday. The official site of a third top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali-Mohammad Dastgheib, was reported blocked early last month.

Chaharshanbe Suri: Lighting the Flame

Masoud Shafaee — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:12:02 +0000

As the Persian Nowruz New Years inches closer, the regime's new-found confidence stemming from its relatively successful prevention of massive protests on 22 Bahman may be deteriorating. Chaharshanbe Suri, a pre-Islamic fire festival with Zoroastrian roots, may have been the first instance of renewed clashes between protesters and the regime.

Google's Eye on the Regime

Masoud Shafaee — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:57:47 +0000