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

Politics

• Presidential crisis:
  • Ayatollah Ahmad Alam al-Hoda addresses the Principalists at the Khorasan-e Razavi province Voice and Vision [of the Islamic Republic] seminar: "Today, anyone who loves the Guardianship of the Jurist serves in the lowest positions... At such places, anyone who says anything approving of the Guardian Jurist loses his job..."
  • The Presidency of the Islamic Republic refutes rumors on arrest of Hamid Baqaei, Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization head. 
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Hassan Ramezani, religious scholar with expertise in the field of jinn, indirectly criticizes Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, saying that establishing a relationship with the jinn is only "legitimate" in case he is authorized by the "true guardian of God" [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] to do so.
• Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, brother of the former president: "Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] has not turned away from the Friday prayer or from the people. But if the tribune of the Friday prayer and Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] are insulted, that would be an insult against the regime..."
• Emad Hosseini, parliamentarian, says Ahmadinejad will most probably present Mohammad Ali-Abadi to the parliament as oil minister.
• Parsine releases a video of Sadeq Qotbzadeh's confessions.

Diplomacy

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei receives Pakistan’s president: "The true enemy of the people of Pakistan and the national unity of this country are the Westerners and the United States at their helm..."
• Ahmadinejad receives this Pakistani counterpart: "Implementation of the natural gas pipelines transferring Iran's gas to Pakistan is underway and we hope it will reach the borders of the two countries towards the end of 2012..." 
• Hamid Qazvini, Sistan va Balouchestan Water Organization head, criticizes the authorities in Afghanistan for not delivering Helmand river water to Iran.

Military and Security

• Sobh-e Sadeq columnist Reza Garmabedari: "Should the Turkish authorities insist upon continuing the current position [towards Syria], which leads to more tension and passivity to the degree that Iran needs to choose between Turkey and Syria, the strategic logic and ideological insight would make Iran gravitate towards Syria. It would be good if the Turkish authorities understood this necessity of Iran's and prevent a situation where Iran reaches the point of no return."
• According to the Public Relations Office of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), IRGC Ground Forces based at Hamzeh Seyyed al-Shohad Base have "killed, wounded, and arrested many terrorists and brigands from the PJAK group."
• Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi says infiltrators from his ministry have penetrated the opposition abroad.
• Mohammad Delavari, anchor of the Serfan Jahat-e Ettelae [Just for Information] TV program, criticizes Revolutionary Guards Chief Mohammad-Ali (Aziz) Jafari's statements on the right to participate in politics: "One can't say who should participate in politics and who not, and later says: 'Who says I'm intervening in politics?'"

Photos of the Day

• Birthday celebration of the Imam of the Era at Jamkaran Mosque near Qom.