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

• Ayandeh News surveys the sayings of Grand Ayatollah Khomeini and documents that Khomeini never said the slogans attributed to him.
• News related to the next session of the Assembly of Experts:
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Abbas Amirifar addressing the assembly of "guardianship abiding preachers" called for Rafsanjani's resignation from Assembly of Experts.
  • Revolutionary Guards weekly Sobh-e Sadegh launches another attack against Rafsanjani.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mojtaba Zolnour, the Supreme Leader's deputy representative to the Revolutionary Guards urges Rafsanjani to "change his position," otherwise his position would be "shaky" at the coming session of the Assembly of Experts.

Diplomacy

• According to Sobh-e Sadegh, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez has prayed on Venezuelan state TV for the re-emergence of the Imam of the Era.
• Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei meets President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria.
• [E] Iranian judiciary official says Iran will continue its trial of three US citizens.
• [E] South Korean president calls for the development of bilateral ties with Iran.
• [E] Ambassadors from 32 countries land in Iran for visit. 
• [E] Iran-based human rights group calls on US to abandon support for the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO).
•  [E] Top Iranian official meets with Syrian president to discuss international issues.

Military and Security

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses Iran Army officers: "The position of the Iranian nation must be preserved through insights and by abstaining from conflicts."
• Revolutionary Guards Chief Mohammad-Ali Jafari: "Mass producing intelligent [supersonic] ballistic missiles, hitting targets at sea and neutralizing enemy threats at long range has become possible." 
• Jafari comments on the employment of Fattah and Bazrpash in the IRGC after they left government service: "They are our friends and comrades and are forces of the revolution."
• Yadollah Javani, IRGC Political Bureau chief: "An Islamic Middle East is the fruit of the 'second revolution' [seizure of the United States Embassy in Tehran in November 1979]."
• Hossein Hamadani, Tehran Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Revolutionary Guards unit chief: "The seditionists should know that we will no longer consider them as deceived individuals who protest against the election result. We will consider them counter revolutionaries and spies and will deal with them harshly."
• An Intelligence Ministry "expert" says "the heads of the sedition wanted to bomb two important mosques" during the presidential election of 2009.
•  [E] Iran and Oman launch joint naval exercises.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Ayatollah Javadi Amoli provides a "scientific explanation" for the long life of the Hidden Imam.

Trade

• [E] Iran and China sign multi-billion dollar contract to develop eight major railway lines in Iran.
• E] Japan says its sanctions on Iran do not include wide domain.

Nuclear Issue

•  [E] Iranian U.N. representative claims full cooperation with IAEA and demands recognition of nuclear rights from G5+1.
• [E] Turkmen President renews support for Iran's nuclear rights.

Photo of the Day

• Mashaei and Assad.