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

• Ahmadinejad extends condolences to the victims of earthquake in East Azerbaijan province.

Diplomacy

• Quds [Jerusalem] Day reports:
  • Ahmadinejad addresses the Tehran Friday prayer prior to the Quds [Jerusalem] Day rally:
    • "Today, it is clear to everyone that Zionism is counter to human perfection and the human society. It is the main agent of decay of nations. A corrupt, corrupting, and inhumane minority opposed to divine values is organized and is cohesively resisting all those divine values... For at least the past four hundred years, a small number of Zionists have imposed the highest costs to human society... The Zionists took over the world leadership when they began dominating the government of the United States... A small number are behind the scenes of changing administrations in the United States. All the main centers of power in the world, all powerful governments of the world, the main centers, banks and the global wealth and the main media of the world are in the hands of the Zionists. They use all these [instruments] to destroy cultures, values, nations and existence of countries. Wherever there is vast moral decay, wherever there is war, sedition and killing, the Zionists and Zionist companies are behind it..."
    • "The Westerners should know and should open their ears. It is not just the Arab Spring. The beginning is Arab, but a human spring is on the way, so is the 'Western and American' spring which will soon start, thanks to divine benevolence..."
    • "The Westerners are trying to create a new Middle East, and so are we. It will certainly take shape, but thanks to divine benevolence and help from the nations, in the new Middle East, there would be no trace of the United States and Zionists." 
  • Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami addresses the prayers at Tehran Friday prayer:
    • "Today, the slogan of 'Death to America,' and 'Death to Israel' of yours is the sign of support to the oppressed in the face of the unjust..."
    • "To begin with, I must say that the Jewish minority who live in our country, abide by the laws and themselves say that they participate at the Quds [Jerusalem] Day rallies, are separate from the Zionists... The characteristic of the Zionists is that in their past record, killing and killing the devout is registered. The Zionists have engaged in so many crimes and have killed so many people that the stain of dishonor will never be cleansed from history... A famous Western journalist in his book on the crimes of the Zionists has written that the Zionists brutally tortured Palestinian refugees, would skin them alive, would cut their stomachs, would rape the girls and cut their breasts... Deeds of the Zionists show that their nature is mixed with inhumane deeds... The Zionists do not abide by international agreements..."
    • "About the Jews, the Quran urges [the Muslims] not to disclose their secrets to aliens..."
    • "Unfortunately, the heads of some Islamic states not only do not despise the Zionists, they consider the Zionists their masters... We have precise information that some of the heads of states of Islamic countries urged the Zionists to attack Lebanon..."
    • "The Quran says, 'use force' against the Zionists in order to direct them to the path of truth..."
• Commentary on Ahmadinejad's participation at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Saudi Arabia:
  • On his return from Saudi Arabia, Ahmadinejad comments on Iran and Saudi relations: "Iran has special relations with Saudi Arabia and in the past thirty three years it has had many fluctuations. Iran has an elevated position in the region and in the world of Islam, and the Saudi state has great impact on the developments, including the recent events and coordination of the relations of the two countries concerning management of regional developments is very important... The two parties... admitted, and I hope that better developments will take place in the relations between the two countries."
  • Parliamentarian Esmaeil Kowsari slams Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi's statements at a press conference in Saudi Arabia: "Of course, Mr. Salehi, with his spirit and character, probably wanted to attract the Saudis. But the truth in the realm of politics and international relations is such that if the Saudis were curable, they would have been cured by now. However, they not only resist getting cured, if we make concessions they will proudly behave as we owe them something."
  • An Iranian blogger points out that the photo depicting Egyptian President Mursi embracing Ahmadinejad at the OIC summit is doctored. In the original photo, Ahmadinejad was embraced by Hugo Chavez. 
• As the government of Bahrain is sending back its ambassador to Tehran, and Bahraini Gulf Air has resumed flights to Tehran, Asr-e Iran asks what has changed in the behavior of the Bahraini government towards the Shi'a opposition since the Islamic Republic is allowing the Bahraini ambassador to return to Tehran.

Military and Security

• Iranian blogger Nikahang Kowsar writes that Mohammad Ahmadian, Iran Atomic Energy Organization deputy, as a student in London, was involved in building a bomb to attack a bookstore selling the books of Salman Rushdie. Mehrdad Kowkabi, another student involved in the plot, who was arrested by the British Police, has disclosed information about Ahmadian's complicity in an interview with Panjereh.
  • A reference to the incident in The Glasgow Herald.

Photos of the Day

• Quds Day rallies in Iran:

• Tehran
• Tehran, "Coffin of Satan"
• Rasht
• Khorram-Abad