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 

Politics

• A group of nineteen parliamentarians start interpellation of Abd al-Reza Sheikh al-Eslami, Cooperatives, Work and Social Security minister, in protest against the minister appoint Judge Said Mortazavi, a suspect from the Kahrizak case, as the head of the Social Security Organization.
• Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf extends a 1 billion Rial support to the mosque network in Tehran. 
• In an audio file released by Digarban, Mohammad Yazdi says Ahmadineajd staying home from work for 11 days was due to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's opposition to the president trying to remove Intelligence Minister Heydar Salehi, two candidates proposed by Ahmadinejad and Ahmadinejad's proposal that the president himself should temporarily run the Intelligence Ministry. 

Diplomacy

• Ala al-Din Boroujerdi, parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee member:
  • "No one has the competence to express an opinion differeng from the viewpoints of the Supreme Leader... The Americans too know well that in Iran no one can take decision considering relations with the United States without taking into account the viewpoints of the Supreme Leader... Relations with the Enited States still is the redline of the Islamic Republic... When expedient, such as the three rounds of negotiations concerning Iraq, we had negotiations with the United States, which is the exception, but the general rule is that we consider relations with the United States the red line... In practice, the Americans are present in nuclear negotiations and participate at a high level and express their opinions and we do not have a problem concerning relations in the public... "
    • Ali-Akbar Owlia, who met Rafsanjani along with a group of other parliamentarians, says Rafsanjani further explained his attempts at reestablishing diplomatic relations with the United States. According to Owlia, Rafsanjani said: "In Imam Khomeini's secret letter, which was written at the time the Imam was alive, addressed to Hashemi [Rafsanjani], the Imam had discussed establishment of relations with Saudi Arabia, resumption of the Hajj, and negotiations with Egypt, the United States, and establishment of of the Expediency Council."
• Alef News announces that it will host Allen Eyre, Persian speaking State Department Spokesman so the website's viewers can ask him questions.
  • Alef News removes the story.

Military and Security

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses representatives of the various branches of the armed forces: "The multitude of threats shows the power of the Islamic regime. Had the Islamic Republic not had a great power and a high impact, the ill wishers of the Iranian nation would not do all this..."
• Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi warns the countries in the region against entering schemes such as the "Persian Gulf missile defense scheme," and adds: "A missile defense in the Persian Gulf is an American/Israeli scheme.
• Masoud Jazaeri, General Staff deputy and head of the Defense Propaganda Headquarters:
  • "Based on the defense doctrine of our country, we have and will not be attacking any country, but in the face of any attack, we will have an offensive [which the enemy will] regret." 
  • "In that case, Iran's field of operation would not be limited to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. No place in the United States would be safe from our attacks."
  • "The United States, the Zionists and the Arab reaction should pay attention: Where ever the interests of the Islamic Republic are threatened we will deal with them seriously."

Nuclear Issue

• Islamic Republic authorities formally suggest the city of Baghdad to conduct nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 Group.

Photo of the Day

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei receives representatives of the armed forces.