October 14, 2007: American commanders in Iraq report that Iran continues to send weapons and technical advisors to support pro-Iranian groups in Iraq. However, these groups, particularly the Badr Brigade and the Mahdi Army, have stopped fighting each other, and Americans, and joined forces to battle al Qaeda. American casualties are way down, and al Qaeda losses are up.

Meanwhile, U.S. forces in Iraq arrested three members of the Mahdi Army, and accused them to participating in the kidnapping of five Britons last May. American forces have arrested a lot more pro-Iranian operatives in Iraq this year, and seriously hurt Iranian efforts in Iraq.

In the north, Iranian forces have pulled out of Iraq, and Iranian artillery has stopped firing across the border.

The new French government continues pushing for Iran to halt its nuclear weapons program, and advocating bombing Iran is need be. Russia continues to insist that there is no proof that such a weapons program exists, and strives to defend increasing Russian sales (military and otherwise) to Iran. The French are also annoyed at continuing Iranian efforts to smuggle French weapons and military equipment, and to steal steal French technology. This behavior has annoyed most European nations, who are losing patience with Iran in general.

Iran also fears that the United States is mobilizing the Sunni Arab world against Iran. There is some truth to this, and Iranian leaders have condemned an American sponsored Middle Eastern peace conference planned for next month. The Sunni Arab nations are showing growing fear of Iran, and this is obvious in the Sunni Arab mass media. For Iran, the threat here is that Sunni Arabs will unite against Iran. For a long time, Iran has exploited a divided Arab world. But Iran's nuclear weapons efforts are uniting the Arabs, at least against Iran.

October 9, 2007: In the capital, about a hundred students held a loud, and public demonstration against president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Pro- Ahmadinejad students showed up but, unlike in the past, it did not turn into a brawl, with pro-government thugs beating anti-government demonstrators to the ground.