Iran Cuts Gmail

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Iran's telecommunications agency announced what it described as a permanent suspension of Google Inc.'s email services, saying a national email service for Iranian citizens would soon be rolled out.

It wasn't clear late Wednesday what effect the order had on Gmail services in Iran, or even if Iran had implemented its new policy. Iranian officials have claimed technological advances in the past that they haven't been able to execute.

This news is not good for those fighting for freedom in Iran. And it comes on the eve of what is expected to be major protests aimed toward the thuggish rulers.

As an aside: The Foreign Policy Initiative announced that it's half-day conference on Iran, scheduled for tomorrow, will be postponed, due to inclement weather. THE WEEKLY STANDARD readers should not worry, though--tomorrow's events in Iran will be thoroughly covered in the magazine's forthcoming issue.