Stalled Talks in Bahrain and Iran's Growing Assertiveness

Negotiations between the opposition and the Bahraini regime, which had been expected to begin within days, appear to have stalled for the moment. The lack of progress toward talks coincides with the arrival of Shiite opposition figure Hassan Mushaima from exile. As the secretary-general of the hard-line Haq bloc, Mushaima has encouraged the opposition to press for more concessions from the regime. His moves since his return strongly suggest he enjoys Iranian support and may be prolonging the standoff at Tehran's behest — and even if he is not, his move to stall talks has played into Iran's hands.