The mark of a despot

The surest mark of a despotic government is when it tries strenuously to hide what it is doing. In Iran they are expelling foreign journalists, arresting domestic journalists, closing down news bureaus, trying to turn off the cell phone and text messaging systems and filtering internet access, beating up people on the streets found with cameras or camera phones, and protesting loudly about the stories and pictures being shown in the foreign press.

Looks like a standard tinpot dictatorship to me.