Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin.  To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.
 
(E) = Article in English

Diplomacy

• Mehr News' analyst gives six reasons President Obama will be defeated in November's presidential election:
  1. "Unfavorable economic conditions in the United States, Romney’s winning card of Romney."
  2. "Romney has been more successful in fundraising."
  3.  "Young people will stay at home on election day."
  4. "White men and the elderly are more pro-Romney."
  5. "Romney will establish himself as a centrist politician."
  6. "An unexpected event will take place."
• [E] Iranian Culture Minister Seyed Mohammad Hosseini announced that the first International Quds Day Summit is due to be held in Iran next year.

Military and Security

• Tabatabaei, Islamic Republic of Iran Army Intelligence commander: "Today, after ten years of American presence in the region, we have, through tactical changes and intelligence surveillance, managed to understand the enemy behavior." 
• Four members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed and four others were wounded in Paveh following a PEJAK operation.
• Ali Fadavi, Revolutionary Guards Navy commander:
  • "The domestic capabilities of Islamic Iran today are such that even the Americans themselves confess that the Persian Gulf is totally and tightly controlled by the Revolutionary Guards Navy... This control is even extended to the international waters and the United States, with all those arms and capacities, is today not the preeminent world power... The United States has very high military capabilities and in some regards its power and capacities are not comparable to any other state, but it can't fight against Iran since the divine attention and the hands of God are with the Islamic nation of Iran. There is no power above the power of God and the Tabas [failed rescue mission] is a proof of that."
    • Fadavi discusses the latest achievements of the Revolutionary Guards Navy on television: "[The Tondar] fast missile boats have been used for many years, but have now been equipped with domestically produced missiles..." 
• Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, Revolutionary Guards Air and Space commander:
  • "By identifying all bases of the United States in the region, in the Persian Gulf, in Afghanistan or in other countries, and through close surveillance, we meet the capacities needed in order to potentially face them... Our longest-range missile has a range of 2000 kilometers. Despite having the technological ability to achieve a longer range, we do not need it because there are no threats... Today, our short-range missiles are in reality intercontinental since the American bases are only between 150 and 200 and at most 700 kilometers from us, which makes them within the range of our short and middle range missiles... With a map of the middle East in hands, you can see from where we can reach the Zionist regime with missiles with a range of 2000 kilometers."
• Hossein Zarifmanesh, Revolutionary Guards Imam Hossein University dean, says his university has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Imam Khomeini led research institute in Qom.
• Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi receives the commanders of the Ali Ibn-e Abi-Taleb Revolutionary Guards unit of Qom:
  • "The guards would be harmed if it is separated from the sources of emulation since experience has shown that the people do not separate from the sources of emulation. One should fear the day when, God forbid, ideological doubts, or moral corruption, which the enemy is working on, reaches the Guards even in small amount. We hope that, thanks to your vigilance, such a day never happens and the Guards retains the motives of the army of the prophet of Islam.

Nuclear Issue

• Former nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian says in order to maintain the "positive approach" from Istanbul, the 5+1 Group should recognize the Islamic Republic's right to 20% enrichment of uranium.

Trade

• [E] Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Bahman Hosseinpour stressed that the two neighboring countries of Iran and Turkey are determined to boost their trade exchanges to $30bln in the near future.

Economy

• [E] Managing Director of the National Iranian Offshore Oil Company (NIOOC) Mahmoud Zirakchianzadeh announced that the country plans to increase its oil output in Persian Gulf oil fields. 

Photo of the Day

• Gold and silver medals for Sajad Behrouzi at the Asian weight lifting championship.