Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by the AEI Critical Threats Project's Iran research team. 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.

Military and Security

• President Hassan Rouhani inspected the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Forces Area One base in Hormozgan province, alongside his Chief of Staff Mohammad Nahavandian and IRGC Navy Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Ali Fadavi. 
• IRGC Quds Force Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani addressed the first annual commemoration of IRGC Ground Forces “Operations Director” Brig. Gen. 2C Hamid Tabatabaei’s death. Tabatabaei was an Iran-Iraq War veteran who was reportedly killed “While undertaking engineering missions in northwest of the country.”   Ghaani praised Tabatabaei and said, “The enemy will not end its hostility. It is we who must stand against them with a martyrdom-seeking spirit and the knowledge we have of them. In the past thirteen years, the Americans arrogantly began the two wars of Afghanistan and Iraq but they were defeated miserably in both wars. They gained no results despite announcing heavy monetary costs and losing lives.” 
• Head of the Passive Defense Organization IRGC Brig. Gen. Gholam Reza Jalali emphasized that presenting “the culture of resistance economy” is more important than the resistance economy itself. Jalili then announced the establishment of the Passive Defense Organization’s Economic Defense Base, which will “Codify economic crisis management at all levels, concentrate monetary and technical resources in the sanctions arena and expand domestic production in sanctions arenas.”
• Representative of the Supreme Leader to the IRGC Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi emphasized obedience to the Supreme Leader and the urgency of confronting discourses, because “All wars are discourse and soft war at the beginning.” He then touted Iranian expansion and said, “Our hostility with the Zionist regime, defense of Palestine and  confrontation with America is completely clear, ideological, and strategic. Today, Israel has come to the Mediterranean coast against us, this confrontation is based on security, strategy and ideology. We observe that our borders have expanded and continue even to Latin America.” 
• Deputy Representative of the Supreme Leader to the IRGC Hojjat al-Eslam Abdollah Haj Sadeghi stated, “We want officials to be continuously committed to the discourse of resistance  against Arrogance [West]  andto insist on the principles of the Revolution. Because the nation will support them until they are on this path. Some must not be seeking to take the religious identity out of the Revolution and establish secularist thought.…” Sadeghi continued, “Today we are standing against the enemy’s  cultural and soft war.” 
• Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) Chief Brig. Gen. Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam announced increased security measures with the cooperation of IRGC forces  at the eastern borders of Iran. He then added that diplomatic efforts continue in freeing the five Iranian border patrol guards who were kidnapped by Jaish al-Adl earlier this month. 

Nuclear Issue

• Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Protection and Security Deputy Ali Asqar Zarean dismissed the idea of rolling back the nuclear program and said, “We will pursue our interests regardless of what they say. They cannot tell us the amount we can enrich. We will produce what we need for peaceful nuclear industry with God’s favor.” 
• Parliament Vice Chairman Hojjat al-Eslam Hassan Abu Torabi Fard claimed that the Arak heavy water reactor has “progressed 85% .” He then stated that Western hostility toward negotiations is because of Iran’s defensive and political power, which is a threat to the “enemies.” Abu Torabi Fard added, “Iranian defensive capabilities [supplemented] by ballistic missiles are a strong deterrent.”  

Politics

• Guardian Council Secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati addressed the Sixth Qom Seminary Teachers Society Session to  discuss “seditious” currents and to emphasize the importance of the “resistance economy”:
  • “Why do some not understand that the [2009] sedition was America’s satanic plan?”
  • “Recently, the topic of freeing the leaders of the sedition [2009 presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi] has been introduced. This is an American plan that some are claiming for themselves.” 
  • “The [2009] sedition has not been completely eliminated, but its importance has fallen and there are more important matters in the country today. We must understand how the children of hezbollahis are doing and what dangers threaten them.”
  • “If this country seeks to stay it must have a strong economy.”
  • “Those who must implement the resistance economy  have shown in their record their attachment to Islam, the Revolution and the people.”
• Senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Nouri Hamedani criticized recent statements made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Israel and said, “The Islamic Revolution is at war with all who are seeking anti-Shi’ism and Islamophobia and support the Zionists. They  will be confronted  with the instruments of jihad and martyrdom.” 
• President Hassan Rouhani claimed, “Some groups have circumvented national interests in the name of circumventing sanctions. They have taken the people’s money and I hope that all the country’s organs can return this money to the treasury.” He then lamented human capital training in Iran is not proportionate to the job market and that the issue must be resolved. 
•  Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has submitted the 2014-2015 budget law to President Rouhani for signing.
• Islamic Culture and Guidance Minister Ali Jannati said, “We must use [social media] but must also consider the judiciary’s considerations.” 

Regional Developments and Diplomacy

• Foreign Minister Mohamamd Javad Zarif met with his Indian counterpart Salman Khorshid and urged that “obstacles” be overcome in the expansion of India-Iran relations, which can “have an effective role in regional and global transformations.” 
• Supreme National Security Council Secretary Maj. Gen. Ali Shamkhani met with Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary General Dmitry Mezentsev and announced, “Iran is prepared to be active in codifying the organization’s 2025 strategy and confronting challenges ahead, and also aid the strengthening of this organization alongside other members.” 
•  Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani met with the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zibari and said, “There are many capacities in the Iranian energy and industrial sector, which can be used for the economical expansion of Iraq within the framework of the two countries’ national interests.” 
• International Affairs Deputy to the Oil Minister Ali Majedi said that Pakistan must act on its agreement in the “peace pipeline” project and that connecting this project to US sanctions against Iran is “an unconsidered measure.” Based on the agreement between Tehran and Islamabad, Pakistan must pay Iran a fine of $3 million per day if it does not commence gas imports from Iran by December 2014. 
•  Lebanese Hezbollah commander Qassan Ibrahim Hejazi AKA Sheikh Kamil has reportedly been killed in Syria. Israeli media reports have claimed that Hejazi was killed in recent Israeli airstrikes. 

Economy

• President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranian investors residing abroad to begin investing in the country and said, “Investment and undertaking economic activities must take place with correct projections. Today, we are taking measures in this administration to make predictable the economic environment.” 
• Oil Ministry Planning and Supervision of Hydrocarbon Resources Deputy Mansour Moazzami stated, “Privatization of petrochemical companies in the past few years has harmed this industry but we will build this industry again together. It was broad policies that must have been executed and directors had no choice. Therefore, there are no mistakes attributed to petrochemical industry directors.”  
• Energy Minister Hamid Chit Chiyan announced a 25% increase in  electricity prices next month. 

Photo of the Day

• President Hassan Rouhani inspects IRGC Navy Forces in Hormozgan province.