Iranian society under tight control ahead of upcoming presidential election
For months, the authorities have banned and muzzled the media, jailed journalists, warned those who might threaten security. Two men appear to be the frontrunners, Saeed Jalili, who is backed by Ayatollah Khamenei; and Hassan Rouhani, who enjoys reformist support. The former wants to continue the standoff with the West over Iran's nuclear programme. The second wants to talk to ease pressures on the economy, where inflation is running at an annual rate of 31 per cent.
