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

Military and Security

• News stories concerning closure of the Strait of Hormuz:
  
  • Ali Fadavi, Revolutionary Guards Navy commander, on Dirouz, Emrouz, Farda TV show:
    • "We have experienced closure of the Strait of Hor  muz on many occasions. During the last years of the [Iran/Iraq] war, when the Americans were convinced that the war had become to Iran's benefit, in the winter of 1982, they directly entered the war against us..."
      • "By 1987 the United States increased the number of its war ships in the Persian Gulf from 12 to 86. Therefore, the Americans recall the struggle of the warriors of the Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf as a nightmare. They did not achieve any of their objectives..."
      • "The statistics [of ships hit by the Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf] is clear, both prior to and after the U.S. presence. In reality, presence of the United States in the Persian Gulf, with that number of destroyers, did not manage to secure the region..."
      • "We have managed to utilize all our legal rights to control and close the strait and to hit, even sink, a large number of enemy targets in the strait..."
      • "The current authorities in the United States may have been at school back then, but previous U.S. authorities remember what disasters they experienced at the Strait of Hormuz. For example, they remember that in 1997 a billion dollar destroyer exploded in the Persian Gulf and an American helicopter crashed..."
      • "Despite the American announcement to escort ships and tankers in the Persian Gulf, more than 40 ships were hit and many missiles were fired at American and targets defended by them. Therefore, the Americans remember those days very well..."
      • "Back then the Americans on three occasions announced that the Persian Gulf had been cleared of mines, but the ships hit the mines again. Apart from this, whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran desired so, all the ships were subjected to several hours long inspections. All this happened at a time when we did not have the capacity, organization or the training for such missions..."
      • "Should the enemy desire to engage in another mischief in the region, would the world be ready for as little as 24 hours absence of the Persian Gulf energy? Who can answer such a situation? The Americans can certainly not answer, they even can't defend themselves..."
      • "The Americans fled from Lebanon and Somalia. They did not retreat from Iraq, they fled [from Iraq] and will most certainly also flee Afghanistan. How can Americans, who can't defend themselves, guarantee energy security of the world?"
  • Sa'd-Allah Zare'i, international affairs expert: "Even a small state is capable of closing the Strait of Hormuz, let alone a great country like the Islamic Republic of Iran..."
  • [E] Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said his forces will conduct naval exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf in February.  

Trade

• Asr-e Iran's analyst discusses Iran's options following the European Union's decision to embargo of Iran's oil:
  • “Iran has three options... First, reduction of production… Under any circumstance, reduction of production also means reduction in oil revenue..."
  • "Second, selling at discounted price. Under sanctions, some customers consider the conditions ripe for purchasing cheaper oil... China is among the most important customers and under such conditions it is possible that it will purchase more oil from Iran in order to increase its oil reserves. Also under this condition Iran is forced to sell a fifth to a quarter of its oil at a cheaper price which again means reduction in Iran's oil revenue."
  • "There is also a third option, which is to store crude oil. Under this condition Iran does not decrease its oil production, but at the same time does not sell it in the market. This method can be used for a very limited time.
  • "Until now, those pushing for sanctions have managed to persuade three main customers to leave the Iranian market. Therefore, it is not implausible that in the coming days or weeks, they will also go to the next six countries and persuade them to change their oil source. Here, the Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, will play a greater role in expanding its oil production in order to balance the market. It should also therefore be one of Tehran's strategies to prevent the Arab states from joining the ranks of this anti-Iranian movement, despite the fact that some of these countries, including Saudi Arabia, have never had a benign policy towards Iran."
• [E] Iran has earned some $300 million from drilling 30 oil wells in Turkmenistan waters in the Caspian Sea during the last 5 years, Iranian oil industry officials said. 

Media

• According to the Iran Statistics Agency, only 11 million Iranians have access to the internet.   

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he is hopeful about a resumption of talks between Iran and the six world powers (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany). 

Photos of the Day

• Strategic Vision Seminar, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.