Ahmadinejad’s speech came amidst a new crackdown on opposition protests. Numerous opposition figures reported police harassment Thursday, while Iranian forces were said to have fired tear gas and paint balls at protests in the capital Tehran. Meanwhile, back in Washington, Senator John McCain helped unveil a measure imposing new sanctions on Iran.

Sen. John McCain: “First, it will require the President to compile a public list of individuals in Iran who, starting with the presidential election last June, are complicit in human rights violations against Iranian citizens and their families, no matter where in the world those abuses occur. I want to stress, this would be a public list posted for the world to see on the websites of the State and Treasury Departments. We will shine a light on the names of Iran’s human rights abusers, and we will make them famous for their crimes.”