A Dispatch from Tehran

Babak Rahimi is a professor of Islamic studies at the University of California, San Diego, who has been in Iran studying the elections. He’s on his way home. But he sent this email:

I’ve difficulty having access to my yahoo account here.

This is the latest [information] I’ve (though much that I have here is based on what I have heard from pro-Mousavi people. I can’t confirm any of them, except the first one, which I’ve seen that myself).

1. The Basij has literally taken over the major parts of the city–at nights that is.
The Sepah seems to be still standing in the background, but they have issued another statement calling for more crackdowns.

2. Mousavi has apparently issued a strike for today, Tuesday. Kurdistan is also going on strike.

3. Rafsanjani appears to be in Qom, mustering support for an eventual confrontation with the pro-Khamenei faction in Tehran.

4. The pro-Mousavi rallies will continue until 18 Tir, the anniversary of the crushed 1999 student uprising. Also, there are plans for a massive rallies for the 40th day of those who have been killed (especially for Neda) by the state police.

I predict more days of violence and bloodshed.