Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analyst Will Fulton and Iran Intern Amir Toumaj. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

Politics

• President Hassan Rouhani and his cabinet met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei where the two discussed domestic and international issues:
  • Khamenei: “Any intervention and war-seeking [by the United States in Syria] will be to the detriment of the those fan the flames.”
  • “If such measures take place, Americans will certainly be harmed, just as [they were harmed] meddling in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
  • “Fanning the flames is like a spark in a gunpowder container, the dimensions and outcomes will be unclear.”
  • “We are not at all inclined to meddle in Egypt's domestic affairs, but we have not been able to avert our eyes from the killing of the Egyptian people.” 
  • Rouhani: “In the country’s current situation, Iran possess stability, peace and national security, in the true sense of the word, but the enemy is attempting to affect our society and people with political and economic pressures.”
  • “Despite these pressures, the Iranian nation has demonstrated that it will stand against sanctions and will not forego its special rights.”
  • “Although sanctions have created problems for the people’s livelihood, these pressures have deepened the people’s historical hatred for the countries that have implemented these sanctions, particularly the West.”
  • “The administration has plainly announced to the world that the language of respect instead of the language of sanctions must be used [when dealing with] the Iranian nation.”
  • “On the international stage, the administration will utilize the language of peaceful coexistence, resistance and persistence.”
  • “The administration’s economic commission has been ordered to identify obstacles to economic progress within fifteen days and then propose short-term solutions for overcoming these obstacles.”
  • “To resolve economic issues, two sessions per week will be established chaired by the President.”
  • “Despite all problems and complexities, the administration is completely hopeful in the future and determined to resolve problems.” 
  • “The Middle East is not prepared to absorb a new war.” 
• Head of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani stated, “[What] is more important that creating an epic is to protect it, so that political opportunists and defeatists do not pollute it with extremist measures.”
• Presidential Advisor and former Defense Minister Akbar Torkan was appointed to his fifth position in the Rouhani Administration. He is now the Head of the Free Area Supreme Council Secretariat, Iranians Supreme Council, Non-Alignment Movement Secretariat and the National Space Agency.

Regional Developments

• Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Qazanfar Roknabadi announced that “completely standing alongside the anti-Zionist resistance is Iran’s permanent position.” 
• Ahlul Bayt News Agency reported that, according to a Syrian source, Russian President Vladimir Putin is seriously considering a Russian attack against Saudi Arabia in the case of a military strike against Syria. 
• An editorial published by Asr-e Iran discussed three Iranian responses to a potential American attack against Syria:
  • If the American strike “is only limited to punishing Bashar Assad’s government and does not create a particular change in the present equation and the balance of forces between the Syrian government and the armed opposition,” then the Islamic Republic will not react since the Rouhani administration is inclined to reduce tensions and reach a “win-win” result in nuclear negotiations.
  • On the other hand, “If America’s attack against Syria is more serious than Iran’s expectation and surpasses the limit of ‘punishment’ and causes a change in the equation and balance of power between the Syrian Army Forces and armed position in order to lay the groundwork for the fall of Bashar Assad’s government, it seems in such circumstances that Iran will consider ‘indirect and unofficial’ confrontation. Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian groups such as Islamic Jihad and the People’s Front for the Liberation of Palestine can enter in such circumstances so that the balance of forces will not be to the detriment of the Syrian government.”
  • The editorial considered the possibility of a direct response to be highly unlikely, based on the Islamic Republic's foreign policy experience over the past thirty-four years. 

Military and Security

• Outgoing Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi claimed to possess evidence that implicated the United States in the recent Syrian chemical attack:          
  • “We have evidence and intelligence that demonstrate the design of the chemical attack in Syria was formed by the Americans and with the cooperation of regional countries such as Turkey and Qatar, but the Arrogance media does not allow for revealing the truths. We knew from two months ago that such an event would occur. We were informed as well [as to where] this design existed, from where chemical weapons were imported and where and how they would be used.”
  • “We took a hard hit with the assassination of our nuclear scientists, but its value was that we were able to identify the individual that the intelligence agencies of other countries had [placed inside the Ministry of Intelligence], due to the inattentiveness of Iranian officials.”
  • “I state with certainly that there is a great deal of evidence and documents [which demonstrate] that the main issue in the [2009 election] was the system’s overthrow. Exactly like what has occurred in Egypt.”
• Defense Minister BG Hossein Dehghan dismissed the potential of an American attack against Syria:
  • "I believe the experience that the Americans had in attacking and occupying Iraq and Afghanistan will prevent them from committing another mistake and immersing themselves in another regional confrontation.... It is natural that the White house is making excuses in order to increase pressure on Syria using various means.... It is not possible that the Syrian government would use chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction after its recent victories in its war against terrorists..... These types of conspiratorial measures that are implemented by the US and terrorist groups with US support are unable to [help the US] achieve their goals, and it is unlikely that they will take military steps against [Syria]..... If military measures are taken against Syria, the security and stability of the region will be threatened and it will definitely not be in the interest of those fanning the flames of violence."
• IRGC Commander MG Mohammad Ali Jafari praised the IRGC’s intelligence and operational preparedness to defend Iran:
  • “The Islamic Republic’s strategic realities represent total preparedness of the Armed Forces, particularly the [IRGC], to defend the Islamic system and homeland. Correct understanding of the complex of various threats, which have been planned by the regional and cross-regional united front against the country’s national security, has upgraded readiness for confronting and combating such threats 100-fold.”
  • “The trend of the Islamic Republic’s security environment changes within the past thirty-five years demonstrates that our country has continuously been one of the main players in the Dominant System's and Arrogance's military strategy…[and they are] continuously seeking to design and implement various scenarios for confronting the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic.”
  • “Thanks be to God, IRGC Ground Forces, with an in-depth understanding of threats, and intelligent and strong presence in the enemy’s [monitored] points, has been able to neutralize the anti-revolutionary conspiracies through the people’s support and domestic capacity of our border areas. More than ever, it has been able to create the necessary groundwork for blossoming, progress, construction, eliminating poverty and answering the people’s needs at the hands of [the country's] executive organs.”
  • “What is considered the expectations of the Supreme Leader and Commander in Chief, and in reality is the [IRGC’s] secret of success, is daily strengthening of spirituality, awareness and the spirit of faith and purity in [the IRGC], because if there is no strength of faith, spirituality and wisdom, certainly military power will not have any results.” 
• IRGC Deputy Commander BG Hossein Salami praised the ability of the Navy to go “fist to first” with any global powers and raised the importance of naval power in deterrence:
  • “The IRGC Navy, which has formed lines against the enemies in the sea and are not afraid of the enemy’s massive weapons, have taught us the secret of immortality.”
  • “Cultural invasion is a jihadi action field, and a reality exists that our confrontations with the enemy will become more physical and goal-oriented over time.”
  • “The enemy, by meddling in this region, seeks to put us in a bottleneck from a political and military aspect, and against them we must possess the necessary power and adequacy, because our enemy does not formally recognize the power of logic.”
  • “The sea is our deterrence field, and we can penetrate the world and the enemy’s imaginative dreams and manage a war.”
  • “The enemy must be astonished against Iranian will and power in such a way that it will not imagine crossing this field, and in this case, we will achieve deterrence.”
  • “Military power must add value to the country’s geopolitics.”
  • “We must defend our essential interests in the sea and place the enemy in danger.”
  • “[The IRGC] has had an important role [in exposing Zionists].” 
• IRGC Navy Commander Admiral Ali Fadavi said, “In case America acts stupidly and confronts Iran, there will be no results other than the destruction of American ships and the sending [home] of American bodies.”
• Armed Forces General Staff Basij Affairs and Defense Culture Deputy BG Massoud Jazayeri discussed the potential American attack against Syria:
  • “What is currently considered an American and English military operation against the oppressed Syrian people is a Zionist operation whose goal is the strengthening of the occupying Zionists morale, which is dying.”
  • “The unreasonable rulers of America, who have taken many of that country’s people to poverty and homelessness with heavy costs, are once against seeking to impose new costs.”
  • “An attack against Syria is not only a measure against the oppressed Syrian Muslims, it is also a betrayal to humanity, including the people of America and West, and the outcome of such a foul measure is unpredictable.”
  • “Americans must set aside this idiotic pride and if they have the ability to spend, [spend it by] saving the American people.”
  • “In case of an anti-Syrian front military measure, the Syrian people will resist and the result of their resistance is victory, and, God Willing, the fire of this fiasco will burn the Zionists.” 
• Addressing the closing ceremony of the Sixth International Scientific Islamic Revolution Pioneers League, Head of the Basij Organization BG Mohammad Reza Naghdi said that the “terrorist” chemical weapons attack is an excuse for an American intervention:
  • “Today in Syria, US-supported terrorists kill people from various tribes, ethnicity and even children with chemical weapons as an excuse for America’s invasion.” 

Nuclear Issue

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Abbas Ali Eraghchi announced that the date for Iranian negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency has not yet been determined. 

Economy

• National Iranian Oil Company Consolidated Planning Director Abdol Mohammad Delparish announced that the operation to increase oil production capacity to 4 million barrels per day has begun. 
• President Planning and Strategic Supervision Deputy Mohammad Bagher Nobakht blamed “lack of budgetary discipline” for the negative economic growth. 

Photo of the Day

• IRGC Commander MG Mohammad Ali Jafari inspects “hill of spies” in northwestern Iran.