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

• Hossein Shariatmadari, Kayhan editor:
  • "There are some friends who because of some reason, including blind [political] tribalism or differences of opinion and bitterness solely stress upon - sometimes well grounded - weaknesses of the government and magnify them and are blind to the points of strength of the government or - God forbid - do not desire to see them. This group doubtlessly plays on the grounds of the enemy and only persuades the Westerners to attack the regime - not only the cabinet - ever more."
  • "There are also some others... whose behavior reflects unearned rents and responsibilities beyond their competence. They do not see any weaknesses [in the performance of the Ahmadinejad government] or see it but don't mention it. They respond to the smallest criticisms in the worst imaginable way, they prevent expression of the weaknesses and therefore also prevent correction."
  • "The honorable cabinet too does not tolerate speech about its weaknesses..."
  • "Finally, the honorable president should beware of some of his controversial entourage members. This small group which unfortunately is endowed with countless capacities and is known as 'the ring of deviation' has demonstrated time and again that they do not have the slightest consideration for the honorable president and under any circumstance pursue their own interests."

• Reformist leader Mehdi Karrubi meets family members and says his opposition to the Ahmadinejad government has not changed.

Diplomacy

• Kazem Jalali, parliamentary National Security Committee spokesman:
  • "One must not consider the S-300 issue as finished. Delivery of this missile system to Iran will be pursued. But what the latest pursue has resulted in I am unaware of... Of course, we have other systems as substitutes. This missile system does not play a vital role in Iran's defense, from the very beginning it did not play a vital role in Iran's defense doctrine, since in the missile issue we have had very good progress and fundamentally the capabilities of the Islamic Republic are not dependent on this missile system... However, Russia has signed a contract with the Islamic Republic and must respect it. The Russians should not easily ignore contracts they have signed with Iran and other countries... I have, during my meetings with Russian authorities, told them that such behavior of yours makes the historical wall of distrust in Iran's view [of Russia] taller..."
• Jomhouri Eslami warns against "the imperialists" who "always and under all circumstances try to create deviations in popular revolutions."
• [E] Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) dispatched its ninth planeload of humanitarian aids to the Somali people as the North African country is fighting hunger and drought.
• [E] Ahmadinejad and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in a phone conversation conferred on the latest developments in the bilateral relations between the two countries, and underlined further reinvigoration of these ties.

Military and Security

• Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast denies allegations of Quds Force engagement in suppression of the protest movement in Syria. An unnamed source tells the German News Agency that the Islamic Republic, in a letter to the Syrian leadership, has urged them to "decrease security measures," against the protesters.

Economy

• Mohammad Nahavandian, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines head, urges the government to pay its debts to the private sector.

Trade

• Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi says oil pipelines transporting oil from Central Asia to Jask will soon be built with the help of "a Korean company."
  • Gholamreza Gharibi, Iranian Oil Terminals Company executive director, denies rumors on tasking the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbia Construction Base with development of an oil terminal in Jask.
• Ali-Akbar Sha'banpour, South Pars Gas Complex executive director, says Iran extracts 300 million cubic meters per day from the South Pars gas field.
• Mehr-Ali Kheir-Andish, Natural Gas Liquefaction Company executive director, says Iran will "hire" a number of foreign tankers to export LNG.
• National Iranian Oil Company director general Ahmad Qalebani says development of Iran's Azadegan oil field - shared with Iraq - is 10% behind the scheduled plan.
• Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi signs the $500 million Firouz-Abad to Fasa ethylene pipeline contract with the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbia Construction Base.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Former Revolutionary Guards Chief Mohsen Rezai says F/C Barcelona "is an ideological team," and "the range of issues of this team covers more than technical and tactical issues."

Photos of the Day

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei receives the cabinet.