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

• The poet Mohammad-Hossein Jafarian, who was invited to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's poetry evening, complains to Khamenei about censorship of the poems prepared for the poetry evening. The poet says his poem was about a "specific political current [of deviation?]" 
  • Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's poetry evening. Video: 
• Mehdi Mohammadi, Kayhan editorial board member, addresses the weekly meeting of the Ansar-e Hezbollah:
  • "In the first week after the 2009 [presidential] election we were looking for someone to defend Mr. Ahmadinejad on television but we could not find anyone. He had alienated all the elites..."
  • "Most of the deeds of Mr. Ahmadinejad during his first cabinet were to alienate Hezbollahi elites..."
  • "The most important program of the current of deviation was to get closer to the United States and start negotiations with this country..."
  • "They believe if someone in this country [Iran] manages to negotiate with the United States will become extremely popular in the domestic political setting since they [the current of deviation] believe the people are enthusiastic about negotiations with the United States..."
  • "The current of deviation believes that the system and structure of the Islamic Republic should change so it gives Mr. Ahmadinejad the greatest freedom of action..."
  • "They are trying to tell the people: 'We want to work for you, but this structure does not allow us to do more and must be changed...'"
  • "When Ahmadinejad chose to stay at home the current of deviation had three messages to three [different] groups. To the middle class which voted for Mir-Hossein [Mousavi] they wanted to say: 'If you want someone who wants to oppose the regime you can't find anyone better than Ahmadinejad.' The second message was to the 25 million who voted for Ahmadinejad: 'We want to work for you, but they don't allow us and they have tied our hands.' They had also a message to the foreigners: 'We are the decision-makers in Iran and it is not so that we are subjected to the other decision-makers in Iran...'"
  • "In the case of Ahmadinejad choosing to stay at home there were some who insisted that the affair should end by impeachment of the president, but the correct viewpoint was that if someone who has come [to office] with the slogan of principalism is impeached, it is principalism which will be defeated..."
  • "The third phase [of sedition] began the day after Mr. Ahmadinejad returned to office and will continue until the 2013 presidential election." 
• Jahan News releases a letter signed by Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, who referring to Ahmadinejad, asks the Minister of Higher Education and Research to see to it that a relative of Ahmadineajd's is admitted to a Ph.D. program at Amir-Kabir University. 

Diplomacy

• According to Aftab News, Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Abedi, the Supreme Leader's Appointee to the Board of the Office of Islamic Propagation, invited to Malaysia for Ramadan by the Iranian embassy, finds empty audience halls in four speech venues and so returns. 
• [E] A majority of Iranian lawmakers in a statement on Wednesday condemned the British regime's “brutal and inhumane” crackdown on protestors, and expressed the confidence that the recent unrests in the European country will lead to the collapse of the Western capitalist system. 
• [E] Iran is considering talks with the British authorities over the continued and severe violation of human rights in Britain, an Iranian parliamentarian said, but meantime underlined that talks are unlikely to persuade the British government to change its suppressive attitude towards protesters. 

Military and Security

• Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting shows a subterranean missile silo. Video. 
• Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says the private sector will play a greater role in Iran's defense industry. 
• [E] Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) forces Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi expressed concern about the conditions of the Somali people who are hit by severe famine and drought, and took the US and the Israel responsible for growing catastrophe in the African country. 

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday welcomed the Russian 'step by step' proposal for the Iran-West nuclear standoff, and described it as a step forward. 

Trade

• Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi: "We are providing crude oil but there must be a customer for it... The prices that we offer in the markets are standard prices..." 
• Naji Sadouni, Oil Engineering and Development Company executive director, says "China is not killing time" in development of Azadegan oil field and added Iran is negotiating development of three oil fields with Ukraine. 
• According to Mehr News, the development contract of the $500 million Jafir Oil field project with Belarus has been suspended. According to Naji Sadouni, Oil Engineering and Development Company executive director, the company left the project because it was not "economical." Mohammad-Ali Qanavatpour - Belpars [Joint Iran/Belarus Oil Company - the National Iranian Oil Company has failed to pay its $72 million contractual obligations to Belarus. 

Photos of the Day

• Destruction of the Holy Church of Kerman, built in 1950.