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

• Presidential crisis:
  • Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses representatives of the government’s three branches: "Such unprecedented events in the region and in the world have provided the Islamic regime with great opportunities, but if there is no realistic assessment of the conditions of the state, those opportunities may be wasted or even become threats... In the political, economic and cultural fields, there have been some weaknesses, shortcomings and problems most of which are due to not living up to responsibilities."
    • Photos from the meeting show that Rafsanjani was absent at the meeting.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mojtaba Zolnouri, former deputy representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards and parliamentary candidate: "Beliefs of Mr. [Esfandiar Rahim-] Mashaei are false. His faith is problematic and his views on the clergy, the sources of emulation and guardianship of the jurist are not healthy; for example, the discourse on the School of Iran or importing Achaemenid artifacts and other issues he has been working for years. This means that Mr. Mashaei has for a long time pursued such projects. Therefore, we consider his view corrupt. We also consider his views on the issue of Messianism a false view... Membership of the cabinet is no insurance and it is beneath the dignity of the president to say whoever becomes a member of the cabinet is immune, even if he - God forbid - were a thief, murderer or a spy... The regime does not desire, God forbid, an end to the work of Ahmadinejad, or dismissal or resignation of the cabinet. The regime has never desired such a thing. This was even the policy and strategy of the regime during the era of the honorable Mr. [Mohammad] Khatami. Therefore, I don't predict that there is a resolve for conflict to abolish the cabinet."
• Parliamentarian Emad Afrough: "Someone who does not recognize the principle of the Guardian Council can't participate in elections. Of course, he or she can register but should not expect that his or her candidacy will be approved. The Guardian Council has an official and legal structure. Should someone not recognize the structure, he or she should not qualify [to run for office]."

Diplomacy

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses representatives of the three branches of government:
  • "There are some who want to say that since the Islamic regime is insisting upon its principles, Iran's international standing has been harmed. But at times when the authorities unfortunately retreated in the face of the West, their behavior became harsher and more insulting... At times, the authorities of the country even mentioned the virtues of American authorities, but the lightheaded president of the United States [George W. Bush] immediately called the Islamic Republic of Iran 'the Axis of Evil.' In another era, the relations were seemingly good with a European government [Germany] and that government praised Iran, but the very same European government arranged a trial in the Mykonos Restaurant affair and European countries called their ambassadors home from Tehran aiming at slapping [the Islamic Republic] in the face. But from this very Hosseiniyeh [prayer house] they received a harder slap... Whenever the Islamic regime has made concessions to the United States and Europe, they have become more insolent. Whenever the regime has insisted upon the slogans and foundations of the revolution, the honor of the Islamic Republic has grown..."
• [E] Khamenei said the United States' wrong policies and measures in the region and the world had turned the country into the most resented state in the Muslim world.

Military and Security

• Alef's analyst criticizes some economic activities of the Revolutionary Guards, and stresses that the Guards could become vulnerable.

Economy

• [E] The volume of China's imported oil from Iran has increased by 49% in the first half of 2011 compared with the same period last year, China's General Administration of Customs announced.

Iran in the Afghan Media

• Hasht-e Sobh in a commentary titled “Iran and Taliban: Yesterday’s Enemies, Today’s Friends,” details Iran’s response to the killing of eight Iranian diplomats by the Taliban 13 years ago, but argues that Iran no longer sees the Taliban as an enemy and supports the insurgent group to hurt the United States. “By playing a double game, Iran, on the one hand, supported the current events [post-Taliban government in Afghanistan], but on the other, has created challenges to the current process by mass deportation of Afghan refugees, halt of oil shipments, and support for the armed opposition groups,” he adds. 

Photo of the Day

• Old photo of then president Ali Khamenei.