By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced yesterday that his country will deliver a “punch” that will stun the world this Thursday, the feastday of Our Lady of Lourdes, which marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

The AFP is reporting that Khamenei was speaking to a gathering of military personnel when he said: “The Iranian nation, with its unity and God’s grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) in a way that will leave them stunned.”

Iranian officials have been hinting for weeks about some major demonstration of Iranian power this Thursday, a day on which the country celebrates the overthrow of the Shah and the institution of Islamic rule.

The announcement came shortly after the country announced its intention to enrich uranium up to 20 percent while adding 10 additional nuclear sites to their atomic program. Uranium used in the core of a nuclear warhead must be enriched to 90 percent or more, but Iran’s newly stated goal of 20 percent proves it is enriching uranium beyond what is needed to fuel power plants.

Opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, are calling for anti-government protests on Thursday during the time when traditional regime-sponsored marches take place across the country.

“The 22nd of Bahman is upon us, truly it should be called the day of gathering,” Mousavi said on his Kaleme.org website Monday. “I feel we have to participate while maintaining the collective spirit as well as our identity and leave an impression.”

Over the past eight months, several thousand people have been arrested in Iran since the June demonstrations against the rigged re-election of Iranian president  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, including politicians, journalists and human rights activists.

Two demonstrators were recently executed and the government has promised that more will follow.

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