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 subscribe to this daily newsletter, please visit this page, fill out the "New Subscribers" section, and check "Iran News Round Up" listed under "Projects." 
 
(E) = Article in English

Politics

• Revolution Day coverage:
  • Fars News Agency reports "glorious" Revolution Day rallies in Tehran and all major cities.
  • Ahmadinejad addresses the crowds: "There are those who consider themselves the masters of the Iranian nation and the revolution. They know that from the very beginning, they were not combatants, or have become exhausted and want to collaborate. They should know that the Iranian public at large, especially the new generations of today will continue the work more piously, more intelligently and more revolutionary and they will raise the banner of Iran with dignity..." 
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Kazem Sedighi at Tehran Friday prayer:
    • "The victory of the Islamic revolution of Iran was the beginning of of change of history of man kind and a pivotal point marking the advent of the emergence of the Imam of the Era and the path of His Holiness' presence is being prepared."
  • Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani:
    • "The sound of cracking of the political bones of the criminal United States is audible all over the region... The political machinery of the United States has not improved its ability to understand the region during the past 32 years and their behavior towards events in Egypt resembles their behavior in the face of the revolution in Iran."
• According to Mahramaneh News, Rafsanjani is on the verge of being dismissed as Assembly of Experts chairman.
• Mohsen Rezai, Expediency Council secretary, on Islamic Republic of Iran Voice and Vision:
  • "In my opinion the path of the Leader is the correct path and I believe we should follow him. I must also complain of several gentlemen including Mr. [Ali-Akbar] Hashemi [Rafsanjani] who could have been a great help to the authorities of the country and the leader of the revolution. Today is not a day of being spectator."
• Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf criticizes Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei's statements about "the school of Iran."
  • Mahramaneh News, close to Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, attacks Qalibaf:
    • "If you, Mr. Qalibaf, are not a liar and a political animal making false accusations, how come you first supported the protesters following the election of 2009 and said they have the right to protest, but began speaking about sedition and heads of the sedition when you discovered that you were mistaken in your calculations?"
    • "The school of Iran is a new idea rising from a sorrow as ancient as history. It is a new plan in order to rally the Iranian nation and the people of our land. A new idea for harmonizing Iran and Islam, and therefore the new generation of the revolution. What is your positive plan?"
• Parsineh News reports attempts at disrupting Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani's speech in Qom.
• Mohammad-Hossein Sharifzadegan, Meisam Mohammadi and Saleh Noghrehkar, advisers to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, were arrested by the security forces.
• According to Saham News, Mehdi Karrubi's family is prevented from meeting him.
• Guardian Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei says those "who participated in the sedition of 2009 will be disqualified."
• Ayatollah Reyshahri will soon be elevated to become a source of emulation.
• Rafsanjani:
  • "Precondition for popular participation [on February 11th Revolution Day rallies] is that they [Khamenei] stops scolding [the public]... My recommendation to dissidents is for them to enter the arena. The revolution belongs to them as well. They should all come. Even those who did not participate in the revolution and did not play a role should come. It is their country as well. We want everyone to join."
  • "For the time being we do not have an alternative to present conditions. We must preserve it as it is. Through reforms. We must do necessary repairs. This side [Ahmadinejad] should not afterward boast 'they [the people] came [participated in Revolution Day rallies] for our sake.' Everyone must come as a national, revolutionary and Islamic duty. The February 11th rally belongs to the entire Iranian nation. As soon as they [the Ahmadinejad government] begins boasting 'did you see what happened!' this could lead to defection..."
• Taghi Rahmani, adviser to Mehdi Karrubi, arrested by the security forces.
• Various governmental organizations urge the people to participate in tomorrow's Revolution Day rallies.

Diplomacy

• Hojjat al-Eslam Kazem Sedighi at Tehran Friday prayer:
  • "Today, the sound of the footsteps of the Islamic Revolution of Iran is being heard in Egypt... The people who resisted in the face of Israel and fought the first war [against Israel] have today - thanks to divine benevolence - managed to force the Pharao of the age from the political arena. This is no accident that this happens on the 22nd of Bahman [February 11, Revolution Day]. This is one of the days of God [Ayyamollah]..."
• Ahmadinejad addresses the Arab nation and the youth of Egypt on the occasion of the Revolution Day:
  • "Be viggilant. It is your right to be free and popular sovereignty is your right as well. It is your right to freely express your opinion about the affairs of your country and world affairs. It is your right to choose what type of rulers and which exact individuals you want. It is your right to govern. It is your right to demand monoteism and justice and your right to engage in holy struggle to achieve it."
• Rafsanjani comments upon unrest in Tunisia and Egypt and the Islamic Republic's influence upon regional affairs:
  • "We should not just say this is the Islamic revolution which they are repeating, [and we should not say] that we had no influence. One can't look at it in black and white. One must take a look at the issue in different dimension."
  • "The wave created by Iran’s Islamic revolution was very high and the first place where they received the message of the Islamic revolution of Iran was Iraq... Saddam's behavior and the world's cooperation with Iraq were due to the fear they had of the influence of the Islamic revolution."
  • "[Unrest in Tunisia and Egypt] is due to other factors as well. There is dictatorship, discrimination, reliance upon imperialism, but there are also Islamic motives. Their Islamic motive may not be as Iran's, but there is an Islamic dimension like ours."
• Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi visits Algeria, calls for expansion of relations.
• [E] Head of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Hamas movement Khalid Mashaal praised Iran for its unlimited supports for the resistance of the Palestinian people against Israel.
• [E] Turkish President Abdullah Gul is scheduled to pay a four-day visit to Iran on Sunday to confer with the Iranian officials on ways to further consolidate the bilateral relations between the two neighboring states.

Military and Security

• [E] Iranian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Hassan Shah Safi announced that the country plans to test its experience and capabilities outside the country's borders by staging joint military exercises with allies.

Economy

• Welfare Minister Sadegh Mahsouli says the second round of the cash handout will be transferred to the bank accounts of the applicants in a week.
• Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Hassan Torabi-Fard says the National Development fund has reached $10 billion.
• [E] Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi stressed that different sanctions and embargoes against Iran will leave no negative impact on the country's oil and gas sectors, saying that pressures merely strengthen the country's independence and power.

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Iranian Envoy to Moscow Seyed Reza Sajjadi once again announced Tehran's preparedness to resume talks with the Vienna Group on the swap of nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor.

Iran in the Afghan Media

• [E] Iran’s forced repatriation of Afghan refugees in winter has raised concerns in Afghanistan.

Photos of the Day

• Revolution Day rallies in Tehran.
• Khamenei visits ailing Ayatollah Yahya Ansar in Qom.