Iran News Round Up

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

(E) = Article in English

Excerpts of these translations may only be used with the expressed consent of the authors

Military and Security

• Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari inspected the IRGC Social Cultural Directorate Strategic Research Center, where he emphasized the importance of such organizations “with attention to the Supreme Leader’s many emphases on the importance of culture, the slogan of the year, and also with attention to the enemies’ soft war against Iran’s Islamic Revolution.”
• On the anniversary of the IRGC’s founding, Head of IRGC Public Relations Brig. Gen. 2C Ramezan Sharif discussed the IRGC’s role in fulfilling the Supreme Leader’s slogan of the year “Economy and Culture, with National Determination and Jihadi Management”:
  • “We have had successful experiences from jihadi management in the IRGC, construction jihad, and the Housing Foundation. The IRGC…has reached a point in the military and defense arenas where even the Westerners admit to this strength and deterrence capability.”
• Artesh Commander Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi announced that this year’s joint IRGC-Artesh drills will be “more diverse and more advanced” than previous years.
• IRGC Fath Unit (Kohgilouyeh va Boyer Ahmad Province) Commander Brig. Gen. 2C Yunes Amiri announced that “Approximately 82 Farsi-speaking networks are working on matters of culture and the values of Islam’s revolution. Part of confronting the enemies’ cultural attacks are operational and must be implemented, so we can stand against the enemies’ conspiracies.”

Politics

• Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approved the membership of Chief Prosecutor Hojjat al-Eslam Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei in the Supreme Virtual Space Council.
• Head of the Prisons Organization Gholam Hossein Esmaili denied recent reports of prisoner abuse and food strikes in Evin Prison’s Ward 350 and said that corroborating video footage would be released “any time deemed necessary.”
• National Security and Foreign Policy Parliamentary Commission member MP Fatollah Hosseini said “Discovering equipment inside prison shows that some security convicts inside prison have transformed to connectors for foreign networks” and urged officials to confront these “foreign networks.”

Regional Developments

• Lebanese Hezbollah (LH), in a statement, announced the burial of senior LH commander Abbas Heydar Ria AKA “Abu Fazl,” killed “while undertaking jihadi duty and defending the shrines of the ahl-e bayt [Family of the Prophet] and the sanctities of Muslims in Halab, Syria.” Ria was a prominent commander during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and was reportedly taken captive by the Israeli Defense Forces in 2006.
• LH Executive Council Vice Chairman Sheikh Nabil Qaouk reportedly announced “The Resistance has been able to defeat the takfiris like the Israelis.” Qaouk then praised LH battlefield success in Syria: “Hezbollah has been able to achieve battlefield victory in Syria from southern Lebanon to Qusayr and Yabrud…It will not be like before after the victory in Qalamoun.”

Economy

• Parliament Economy Commission Vice Chairman MP Mohammad Reza Pour Ebrahimi announced that Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Head Valiollah Seif and Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh had confirmed that Iran gained access to its previously frozen assets released under the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA). Approximately 2.55 billion dollars have reportedly been released thus far under the JPOA. 
• The CBI announced that total 2013-2014 foreign debt stands at $6.6 billion.
• Iran National Gas Company Managing Director Hamid Reza Araghi said that even the operationalization of all South Pars gas fields will not suffice to satisfy current domestic energy consumption. He said the country will need to incorporate diversified energy sources, such as wind, solar power, and other renewable energies.
• Khorasan Petrochemical Marketing Director Ali Asqar Khazaei announced an increase in Iranian petrochemical exports to Tanzania, in addition to exports to India, Turkey, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Malaysia, Pakistan, and several unnamed European countries.

Photo of the Day

• Mehr News Agency photo essay: Tomb of medieval poet Saadi in Shiraz.