There is no evidence that the protests are expanding. Indeed, only the die hards headed for the streets, only to be suppressed:
Despite the warnings, some 200 people heeded a call on Persian-language blogs and Twitter feeds to rally Monday at Tehran's Haft-e-tir Square in memory of Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman shown on video as she apparently bled to death, and other "martyrs."
Witnesses told The Associated Press that helicopters hovered overhead as riot police fired live rounds and lobbed tear gas to break up the gathering.
Security forces ordered people to keep walking and prevented even small groups from gathering — at one point taking the extraordinary step of separating couples who emerged from a subway station, the witnesses said. They asked not to be identified for fear of government reprisals.
An Iranian woman who lives in Tehran said there was a heavy police and security presence.
"There is a massive, massive, massive police presence," she told the AP in Cairo by telephone, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was worried about government reprisals. "Their presence was really intimidating."
"What you see is nothing (compared) to what is really happening," said the woman. "People are very, very despondent. There is an air of sadness around."
At night, she added, cries of "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great!" echo through Tehran, saying that was "the only way that they are able to express themselves."
As Stratfor.com noted today in their email update, this hasn't really gone beyond the twittering class in Iran.
The protesters may think they are going on to Isfahan, and Abadan, and Qom. But all they appear to have is a forlorn hope that somehow God will deliver them from their government.
I share the feeling of sadness in the air. Unless this is just a lull as the protesters work on a really massive and nationwide strike or demonstration, the forces of evil appear to have won this round.
UPDATE: This is just shameless betrayal of a genuine desire for freedom in Iran by our diplomats on the day we celebrate our freedom (Tip to Weekly Standard):
President Barack Obama's administration said earlier this month it would invite Iran to US embassy barbecues for the national holiday for the first time since the two nations severed relations following the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"There's no thought to rescinding the invitations to Iranian diplomats," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.
"We have made a strategic decision to engage on a number of fronts with Iran," Kelly said. "We tried many years of isolation, and we're pursuing a different path now."
Could the administration at least pretend to be sad about the suppression of the Iran protesters before they gleefully move on to chatting up the Tehran thugs?
