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

• According to Kalemeh News' opinion poll, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Hassan Khomeini and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are "the most popular political figures in Tehran." The three come ahead of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karrubi, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf. 

• Tehran temporary Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati comments on Iran's "insulting article" about the hijab, launches an unprecedented attack against Ahmadinejad: "There are some people who are now thinking about attracting votes for the presidential election at any cost. They use money without calculation, they have connections and use cronyism, and are now trying to attract the votes of the irreligious, those without the hijab, the light-headed, the nationalists who are not Islamists. What for? In order to gain votes for the president? You will take this [hope] to your grave, I tell you this!" 

• Asr-e Iran condemns the Law Enforcement Forces' repelling down ropes in order to collect satellite receivers from the balconies of the people, says it is undignified behavior. 

Diplomacy

• Asr-e Iran's readers congratulate Libyans on the collapse of Qaddafi's regime. 

• [E] A senior Iranian legislator stressed the growth of Islamic awakening among the Libyan people, and said victory of the revolution in the country can be a starting point for the formation of a front against the western countries' expansionist policies. 

• [E] Iranian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri underlined that the growing waves of popular uprisings and revolutions which have swept Egypt and Tunisia will soon overwhelm the European continent. 

Military and Security

• According to Ebrahim Mahmoudzadeh, SAIRAN executive director, the Islamic Republic has conducted "the preliminary test of the latest Iranian radar with several thousand kilometers range." 

• PKK deputy Morad Karayilian urges the Islamic Republic to stop bombardment of PEJAK positions: "We will disband them ourselves," Karayilian says. 

• [E] Iran on Tuesday started trial of the ‘terrorist’ who assassinated the country's renowned nuclear scientist, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, last year. 

Nuclear Issue

• Iranian authorities move a number of centrifuges from Natanz to Fordo. 

Economy

• Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi says "participation bonds" will be released to attract domestic investments in development of Iran's oil and gas fields which Iran shares with neighboring countries. 

Trade

• Indian authorities say "trade with Iran has become more difficult," and that Iran pays for rice imports from India through Dubai. 

• Said al-Awadi, Dubai Exports executive director, says Dubai's trade with Iran is increasing. 

• Iran LNG executive director says he is negotiating export of LNG in cooperation with "an Indonesian company." 

• Iran is the third largest oil exporter to China after Saudi Arabia and Angola. 

• According to Abrar-e Eqtesadi, Russian and Ukrainian companies have expressed interest in developing heavy crude oil fields in Iran. 

• According to the Pakistan Observer, Russia's GAZPROM, Abu Dhabi's Oil Investment Company and China's CNPC have "expressed interest in investing" in the planned Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline. 

Religion, Society and Culture

• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's ruling concerning sex change operations: "The deed is in itself not problematic, but it is mandatory that the preliminaries of committing haram acts are avoided."

Photos of the Day

• Fars News depicts Qadhafi as "ally of the West."