Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analyst Will Fulton. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Politics

• Head of the Basij Organization BG Mohammad Reza Naghdi said, “Obama is the most hypocritical president in the history of the United States. Obama is a lie head to toe. An economic blockade, oil sanctions, bank sanctions, gold sanctions, and equipping terrorist groups like Rigi and expanding anti-Iranian networks form 70 to 120 networks are some of the friendly gestures of Mr. Obama!”
• Expediency Council Secretary and presidential candidate Mohsen Rezai said, "I told the leader of the revolution that [if] elected, I will establish the administration most coordinated with the Supreme Leader."
  
• Law Enforcement Forces released a statement announcing that its priorities for the new year will be combating smuggling and economic corruption.

Regional Developments

• Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs to the Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati said, "transferring the Syrian embassy in Qatar to the Syrian opposition violates international law." He added, "the people and government of Syria are considered to be a part of the resistance ring" and the "enemies of Syria are seeking to weaken this chain of resistance but the fate and future of Syria will be determined by the Syrian people." Regarding the Arab League's decision to grant the Syrian opposition the Assad regime's seat in the Arab League, he said, "This action will have no impact on the destiny of the Syrian nation and government. The Syrian nation and government have shown that it will not accept any foreign interference and that they stand against the unity of some regional reactionary countries, the Zionists, and Western countries, and everyday their resistance grows stronger."
• Iran Students' News Agency reports the death of 48 people in a suicide bombing attack in Tikrit in northern Iraq.
  
• Fars News reported that Iraqi Border Forces released a statement claiming that their forces had fended off an attack at an outpost near al Damlouk, Anbar province (region 5), by an “armed group” that had entered from Syria. The statement also claimed that a Border Forces “commando unit” disrupted efforts by an armed group to enter region 3 of Ninawa province from Syria.
• According to Iran Student's News Agency, Hamas reelected Khaled Meshal as head of Political Affairs for the fourth time but Meshal has yet to formally accept the post.

Diplomacy

• Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle East and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited Cairo and commented on regional issues:
  • "Unfortunately, some sides have transferred the insecurities of Syria to neighboring countries. It's not possible that Israel will remain immune from extremist groups transferring these insecurities from Syria to neighboring countries."
  • "In some of our meetings in Cairo we will pursue the agreements made during the Iranian president's trip to Egypt [last month]."
  • "In present conditions, the situation in Palestine should be considered the most important issue in the Arab world and we believe that the entire Islamic and Arab world must make serious efforts to fulfill the Palestinian people's rights."
  • "The Islamic Republic of Iran announces with a loud voice its comprehensive support for the axis of resistance against the Zionist regime, and in this regard we support the Syrian people, President Bashar Assad's political reforms, and political groups that believe in a democratic solution for this country's future."
  • "In all three countries of Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen we believe in minimizing foreign meddling. In all three countries we believe the only solution is political dialogue, the basis of which is a national dialogue."
  • "The Islamic Republic of Iran will never allow the Syrian opposition to have access to Syria's seat in the United Nations."
    
• The Iranian Embassy in the Republic of Azerbaijan condemned the "anti-Iranian disintegration-seeking summit in Baku."
  
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Republic of Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Iran "to explain the anti-Iranian conference in Baku."

Military and Security

• Head of the Basij Construction Organization BG 2C Majid Khorasani announced that the organization will be active in Iran's food security in the upcoming year with the goal of "breaking deadlocks."

Economy

• The Iranian Statistics Center announced inflation in Iran has surpassed the 40% mark in the past year.

Photo of the Day

• Members of the 2+1 Coalition Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, and Ali Akbar Velayati attend the Covenant Renewal with the Ideals of the Late Imam [Khomeini] ceremony.