WP:  Iraq’s Arab neighbors wary of Shi’ite sway after vote Iraq’s Arab neighbors fear a split Iraqi election could further marginalize minority Sunnis and hope any coalition government formed by the Shi’ite frontrunner will resist Iran’s sway.  Many Sunni Arabs had wanted a stronger showing by secularists, who they now hope will bring cross-sectarian balance to any coalition government that could be formed by Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.  “These election results show that there is a Shi’ite wave in the region which threatens Arab security in the region. Iran has a hidden role in the Arab region and it supports Shi’ite elements in the area, particularly in Iraq,” said Magid Mazloum from the Center for Gulf Studies in Cairo.

Telegraph:  Islamic Iran offers ‘courting’ diplomas to cut divorce Iranian youths can attend courtship classes and earn a diploma before tying the knot as part of a newly introduced government scheme to cut the divorce rate.

WP:  Obama’s foreign-policy success in Pakistan Fareed Zakaria writes:  President Obama gets much credit for changing America’s image in the world — he was probably awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for doing so. But even devoted fans would probably say it is too soon to cite a specific foreign policy achievement. In fact, there is a place — crucial to U.S. national security — where Obama’s foreign policy is working: Pakistan.

Al Arabiya:  Yemen detains Iranian ship over suspicious cargo 15 Pakistani sailors, Iranian captain questioned in Yemen

RFE: Iranian blogs and websites are reporting that this picture — reportedly taken during President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s trip last week to Hormozgan Province — was removed by the ISNA news agency shortly after being posted.  The reason could be that the appearance of the young woman in the picture is not “Islamic” enough.

HuffingtonPost:  President Ahmadinejad: “7/11 Isn’t Real” In international news, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has publicly denounced 7/11, claiming that the American mini-mart chain is merely a figment of people’s imaginations, and if it did exist, it would most certainly serve mediocre coffee and stale donuts.

TB:  Sharpen the Peaceful Weapon Discontentment has not been quelled, but merely stifled. The public mood is akin to red-hot embers — what Iranians call “fire beneath the ashes” — that can flare up again when the time is right; that is, when incentive for street-turnout is rekindled. This latency suggests disregarding speculations on if future protests will erupt and instead focusing on ways the movement may optimize the time at hand and bolster its agenda. One way the movement could do this is by strategizing its use of slogans.