Morning Brief: Khamenei steps in

TOP STORY: Iran's post-election turmoil may be winding down as the country's main opposition group postponed a planned rally for today after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for calm and promised an investigation of irregularities in last Friday's election. Just after the initial announcement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory, Khamenei had called it a "divine assessment."

Between 150 and 200 students were reportedly arrested last night in protests at Tehran University. Authorities have also reportedly blocked access to a number of online news services and social networking sites. President Ahmadinejad has dismissed this weekend's arrest as similar to "passions after a soccer match".

A number of international figures have expressed concern about events without explicitly condemning the Iranian regime's actions. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said that "It sure looks like the way they're suppressing speech, the way they're suppressing crowds, the way in which people are being treated, that there's some real doubt." 

B STORY: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at Bar Ilan University on Sunday in which he endorsed the concept of a demilitarized Palestinian state, but only under conditions unlikely to be accepted by Palestinian leaders. He promised that no new settlements would be constructed on the West Bank, though left the door open for "natural growth" of existing communities. He also reiterated Israeli demands for an undivided Jerusalem.