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 Analysts Marie Donovan, Paul Bucala, and Caitlin Shayda Pendleton. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Excerpts of these translations may only be used with the expressed consent of the authors.

Key takeaway: Friday prayer leaders celebrated the “liberation” of Aleppo and criticized the renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act during their sermons.

Qom Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Hashem Hosseini Bushehri claimed that the “liberation of Aleppo” was an “honorable example” of “relying on struggle, not on surrendering and negotiating fruitlessly.” Other Friday prayer leaders, meanwhile, continued to use their Friday sermons to condemn the renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) as a violation of the nuclear deal. Tabriz Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari criticized President Hassan Rouhani for “failing to sufficiently stand up to America’s violation of the nuclear deal.” Rouhani initiated several responses to the ISA’s renewal earlier this week, including ordering the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to begin “planning” the development of nuclear-powered ships.

AEI Must-Reads

• Paul Bucala and Marie Donovan analyze recent changes to Iran’s military command structure in “A New Era for Iran’s Military Leadership.”
   
• J. Matthew McInnis and Ashton Gilmore argue that understanding Iran’s use of force is essential to prepare for potential crises with Tehran and develop effective strategies to respond to a modernizing Iranian military in “Iran at War: Understanding why and how Tehran uses military force.”

Regional Developments & Diplomacy

• Tehran Friday Prayer Leader: Renewing the ISA is a violation of the nuclear deal. Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani stressed that America’s renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) constitutes a violation of the nuclear deal, despite the White House’s announcement that the ISA’s extension is “entirely consistent” with America’s commitments under the nuclear deal. Kashani added, “They say that an extension is not a violation of the nuclear deal but it is, in fact, a violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The U.S. was not supposed to do this.” (IRIB)
  • Tabriz Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari criticized President Hassan Rouhani for “failing to sufficiently stand up to America’s violation of the nuclear deal.” On December 13, Rouhani directed the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to begin “planning the design and development of nuclear propulsion for use in the field of maritime transportation.” In a separate letter, Rouhani also called upon Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to take “legal and international” measures to address America’s alleged “violations” of the deal. Mojtahed Shabestari added, “The restarting of our nuclear program should not be delayed by one day.” (Tasnim News Agency)
     
• Friday prayer leaders celebrate “liberation” of Aleppo. Multiple Friday prayer leaders across Iran hailed the “victory” of Syrian pro-government forces in the city of Aleppo. Esfahan Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Yusuf Tabatabaei Nejad claimed that the “liberation of Aleppo is analogous to the liberation of Khorramshahr,” a reference to Iran’s successful military operation to liberate the southwestern Iranian city of Khorramshahr from Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War. Qom Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Hashem Hosseini Bushehri claimed that the “liberation of Aleppo” was an “honorable example” of “relying on struggle, not on surrendering and negotiating fruitlessly.” (Tasnim News Agency) (Tasnim News Agency)
   
• Boroujerdi discusses possibility of downgrading relations with Britain. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the conservative chairman of Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, stated that Parliament has delivered the “necessary warnings” that Iran may downgrade its relations with Britain following British Prime Minister Theresa May’s promise to help GCC states “push back” against Iran’s “aggressive regional actions.” Boroujerdi stated that the “formation of a plan to reduce relations with Britain is in line with the duties” of Iran’s Parliament. A group of parliamentarians presented Parliament’s Board of Directors with a resolution calling for the downgrading of relations with Britain on December 11. The Foreign Ministry also summoned the British ambassador to Iran in protest over May’s remarks. (Tasnim News Agency) 
   
• First vice president speaks with Turkish prime minister. First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri discussed the Syrian conflict during a phone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m on December 16. Jahangiri stressed Iran’s readiness to send humanitarian aid to conflict areas in Syria. He also expressed his hope “that with the cooperation of Turkish and Iranian officials, we will be able to take good steps toward solving the Syrian issue through diplomacy.” (Fars News Agency)
   
• Soleimani pictured in Aleppo. Social media sites circulated a “new” picture of IRGC Quds Force Commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani with pro-regime forces in Aleppo. (@Entekhab_News)

Domestic Politics

• Principlist parliamentarian: The principlists will be victorious in the elections if they can unite. Principlist parliamentarian Hossein Naghavi Hosseini discussed principlist efforts ahead of the 2017 presidential elections during a meeting with local officials in Tehran province. The spokesman for Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission expressed optimism over the principlist camp’s prospects in the elections and asserted that “if the principlists come together behind one individual in the elections, they will certainly be victorious.” Iranian principlists have not yet disclosed their top candidates, although some individuals have named Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf as a likely candidate. (Tasnim News Agency)

Economy

• Larijani stresses importance of exports to improving the Iranian economy. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani stated that Iran’s economy “must be competitive… Exports must not be prevented in order to implement the Resistance Economy because the two [exports and the Resistance Economy] complement one another.” Iran’s leaders offer competing visions of the economic doctrine of the Resistance Economy that advocate different levels of international engagement. (Fars News Agency)