Top Israeli officials have openly accuses Iran of being responsible for attacks in India, Thailand and Georgia; Loyalists of Khamenei look set to triumph in Iran’s parliamentary elections; Ahmadinejad travelled to Pakistan and offered to boost bilateral
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    • According to reports, Israeli official stated that Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia are planning to carry out new anti-Israeli attacks around the world. Israel has been on high alert following bomb incidents in India, Thailand and Georgia. Top Israeli officials have openly accused Iran of being responsible and have also implicated Iran’s Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah in several other foiled attempts to harm Israelis in Thailand and Azerbaijan since the start of the year. Meanwhile, Thailand has arrested two Iranians in connection with a series of blasts in Bangkok earlier this week, and police said they are looking for an Iranian woman who is thought to have fled the kingdom. 1

    In another development, according to reports, loyalists of Iran’s supreme leader, look set to triumph in Iran’s parliamentary poll at the expense of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a contest among hardliners. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned against the man he backed in a disputed presidential vote in 2009 after Ahmadinejad challenged his authority over top government posts. But Khamenei remains in the driving seat and the outcome of the March 2 election is unlikely to alter Iran’s defiance of the West over its nuclear programme, despite ever harsher sanctions and the possibility of an eventual military confrontation. An alliance of clerics, elite Revolutionary Guards and influential bazaar merchants has made sure many pro-Ahmadinejad politicians cannot register to run for the assembly. The Guardian Council has barred many Ahmadinejad supporters, forcing him to pick younger political unknowns. “They had no public link to Ahmadinejad’s camp, but the Council was wise enough to spot them and around 45 percent of his supporters have been disqualified,” said one official involved in the multi-layered vetting process. A list of qualified candidates will be announced on February 21. 2

    In other developments, according to reports, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was on a tour of Pakistan has offered to boost bilateral trade with Islamabad to $10 billion within two months. The offer came as Islamabad is hosting a trilateral summit involving the presidents of the three neighbouring countries of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Iranian president held separate meetings with Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. President Zardari stressed the need for enhancing economic cooperation with Iran and make joint efforts to promote regional peace and security. Zardari proposed encouraging barter and trading in local currencies besides removing tariff and non-tariff barriers. 3

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