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

• Rafsanjani under fire for suggesting direct talks with the United States:
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Abbas Salimi-Namin, Iran's Historical Studies Center director, responds to Rafsanjani’s  recent comments on relations between Tehran and Washington:
    • "It is a pity that he [Rafsanjani] is trying to take a step further than the current government in international affairs. The Ahmadinejad government has over the past years sent some signals to the Americans for negotiations. By taking this position on relations with the United States, Mr. Rafsanjani is trying to say: 'I'm more experienced than Ahmadinejad in this regard, and I felt the need to establish relations with the United States much earlier than Ahmadinejad.' What is sacrificed in this matter is the national interest... He [Rafsanjani] is degrading himself to the level of competing with [Esfandiar Rahim-] Mashaei. There was a time when Mr. Mashaei said 'the people of Israel' [are the friends of the Iranian people], and now he [Rafsanjani] talks about 'the Israeli state'! This happens now that from the viewpoint of the regime [of the Islamic Republic] there is one country, Palestine, which is occupied by radical, racist Zionists. And more importantly, we do not recognize Israel or the Israeli people."   
    • "The rivalry [between Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad] is apparent in such statements. For example, [Rafsanjani's claim that] 'We now have political prisoners, but there were none during my tenure.' Our historical memory does not allow us to accept his [Rafsanjani's] claim. He had [similar] behavior towards his own critics such as Sahabi, Abdi and Ganji. By coincidence, this judge Mortazavi, who today is Ahmadinejad's favorite, was his [Rafsanjani's] man in the dealings with them [Rafsanjani's critics] back then."
    • "Contrary to his claim, Mr. Hashemi would not dare to talk about relations with the United States during the Imam [Khomeini], and engaged in it secretly. For example, what happened during the [Robert] McFarlane affair, where he [Rafsanjani] by hiding the truth from the Imam was attempting to negotiate? The affair was, of course, leaked."
    • "He [Rafsanjani] asked why we negotiate with China and Russia and have relations with them, but not have relations with the United States... Do China and Russia have preconditions which nullify the independence of the Iranian nation and humiliate it? Mr. Hashemi ignores such things in order not to lose the ground to Ahmadinejad and his followers."
    • "In his memoirs covering the era of the Imam [Khomeini], Mr. Hashemi has not mentioned this [handwritten] letter [to Khomeini in which Rafsanjani called for establishment of relations with the United States]. This is very strange."
    • "This issue [the Mykonos Restaurant assassination plot] happened during Mr. [Hojjat al-Eslam Ali] Fallahian's tenure as intelligence minister and everyone knows how close Mr. Fallahian is to Mr. Hashemi. If his [Rafsanjani’s] claim is correct that this [assassination of Kurdish Iranian leaders in Berlin] was the work of rogue elements, he [Rafsanjani] should have dismissed him [Fallahian] regardless of whether or not Mr. Fallahian was aware of this matter. More importantly, given that the West did not manage to present acceptable documentation in this regard, what goal is he pursuing by initiating this discussion? I believe he is trying to say: 'If actions were taken against the West during my government, they were not my work but the work of some rogue elements.' This does not suit him. Does the West accept his explanations? Raising this discussion is more like sending a message to the West and a kind of rivalry with Ahmadinejad so that he [Rafsanjani] can attract the interest of the West. Of course, I do not desire to talk about issues which took place in the Mr. Fallahian-led Intelligence Ministry during his [Rafsanjani's] era, which would prolong the conversation and would lead to other issues which would not be in his [Rafsanjani's] interest."
    • "He [Rafsanjani] has pointed out that during his government, 'Some people brought explosives to Saudi Arabia and desired to deteriorate our relations.' In response, I must say that the executed Mr. Mehdi Hashemi, who was the brother of Mr. [Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali] Montazeri’s son in law, smuggled explosives to Saudi Arabia during hajj [pilgrimage] when the Saudi security enforces the strictest control. Mr. [Mehdi] Hashemi was directly supported by Mr. [Hossein-Ali] Montazeri and Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] also had engagements with him. Even after the [acts of] sabotage he [Rafsanjani] suggested that Mehdi Hashemi should be ambassador to Saudi Arabia, which was strongly opposed by the Imam [Khomeini] who demanded a harsh trial for Mehdi Hashemi... What I meant to say was that during his [Rafsanjani's] time, those who were generating Iran phobia, such as Mehdi Hashemi, were supported by him [Rafsanjani]. By discussing such things [about rogue elements] he [Rafsanjani] exposes his involvement in those affairs."
    • "About the issue of [Lebanon’s] Hezbollah, he [Rafsanjani] knows better than anyone else who was inclined to instrumentally use Hezbollah, but was prevented from doing so. The need for a cover-up and an excuse in the McFarlane affair and relations with the United States led to instrumental use of Hezbollah by him [Rafsanjani]. In the case of Hezbollah's hostage taking in Lebanon, he [Rafsanjani] used Hezbollah as an instrument after which he offered himself as a mediator [between the United States and Hezbollah] so that he could establish direct relations with the Americans, but of course, the McFarlane issue was leaked. At any rate, today Hezbollah is acting independently and is trusted by the people of Lebanon and the current of resistance in the region. Had the policy which Mr. Hashemi today calls pragmatism continued, we would not have witnessed the power of Hezbollah today."
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Khatami, temporary Tehran Friday prayer leader: "Those who think we should negotiate with the head of arrogance, meaning the United States, are either naive or timid."
  • Ayatollah Ahmad Alam al-Hoda: "Here and there are voices saying that we should negotiate with the United States. Such songs are against the Leader." 
  • Ayatollah Mohsen Heydari, Ahwaz temporary Friday prayer leader: "Speaking of negotiations with the United States will lead to the annihilation of the movement of the Islamic awakening in the Middle East and will become the source of another sedition."
  • [E] Iran's top military official categorically denied recent media reports claiming that Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has called for direct talks with the US, and reiterated that Tehran has no intention of rapprochement with Washington. 

Military and Security

• [E] Tehran has devised the necessary plans and measures to defuse the potential threat of the US missile shield project in the Persian Gulf, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said.

Nuclear Issue

• Hojjat al-Eslam Gholam-Reza Mesbahi-Moqaddam, the Economic Reform Scheme parliamentary committee chairman, says the Islamic Republic is capable of producing 90% enriched uranium.

Photo of the Day

• Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani waiting for Khamenei at the Expediency Council meeting.