WASHINGTON, May 9, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The southwestern Khuzestan Province has been the site of deadly bombings in the past year, in addition to demonstrations that have included antigovernment protests. Two men were executed over their alleged roles in bombings, in October, after their heavily edited confessions were televised along with those of their suspected cohorts.
Ahvaz Prosecutor-General Iraj Amirkhani announced on state radio on May 1 that 25 people have been arrested in connection with bombings that took place as recently as January. Several days later, on May 3, the official government newspaper reported the arrest of a "Wahhabi sheikh" for involvement in the unrest and bombings.
Arab Unrest
There are about 2 million ethnic Arabs in Iran, composing about 3 percent of the population. Many of them reside in Khuzestan Province. Amnesty International recently expressed concern over the treatment of politically active ethnic Arabs, including suggesting that authorities are imprisoning family members in an effort to lure them out of hiding.
Authorities have also announced the establishment of a new base for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Khuzestan Province. IRGC commander Major-General Yahya Rahim-Safavi said that the Abu al-Fadl base will help "maintain lasting security," according to a local television report on April 27.
Rahim-Safavi noted that "about 80 percent of Iranian oil resources" are situated in a region that includes Khuzestan and extends to the northern part of the Persian Gulf, "Etemad," reported on April 27.
Some of the discontent in Khuzestan can be attributed to a lack of public services. The supreme leader's representative in the area, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Musavi-Jazayeri, told provincial officials on May 3 that they must attend to public needs if they are to improve the situation. He encouraged the completion of unfinished development projects. Musavi-Jazayeri also called it "the year for creating a major change in the province and taking steps toward comprehensive progress."
The provincial governor-general, Amir Hayat-Moqaddam, told those same leaders that Khuzestan is among the country's top recipients of development funding.
snipped...
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/05/96d3dd51-eed7-44a5-849e-dadaf2e35bd4.html 
Khuzestan - without it, the Mullahs and ape-features will need a magic carpet factory...or a nuclear threat; methinks the regime is aware they could lose Khuzestan. There goes their income. 80% of Iran's oil production, gone, bingo.
Shoe's on the other foot. Lookie where there refineries are: ABADAN
