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

• In an indirect criticism of Ahmadinejad, Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Khatami, temporary Tehran Friday prayer leader, discusses the characteristics of the society of the Imam of the Era: "The Imam of the Era manages the work of his subordinates closely. Especially if they take a step in the wrong direction in economic issues, he will deal with them decisively... Another axis of his justice is that of political justice in which the law has primacy and no one can demand protection money, no one can make great demands and mayhem... In the government of the Imam of the Era, no one is immune from the law and all will be equal in the face of the law and execution of the rulings of the Judiciary..."
• Assembly of Experts head Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani addresses representatives of the clergy at Imam Sadeq University: "We have never desired to intervene in elections, but we believe that we must define the indicators [of suitable candidates] so that we are good guides for the people. Therefore, you clerics can have an impact on this issue." Mahdavi Kani also prohibited "factionalism" within the Principalist camp.
• Hojjat al-Eslam Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, Chief Inspectorate head, in an indirect answer to former President Mohammad Khatami's preconditions for participation in parliamentary election: "We welcome presence of the forces loyal to the revolution in electoral arena... But of course one must not formulate preconditions for participating in elections. They must adapt themselves to the regime and the revolution."

Diplomacy

• Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Khatami, Tehran temporary Friday prayer leader: "The people of Bahrain have a rational demand which is each Bahraini should have one vote and that the government should hold elections. But the House of Khalifa and the House Al-Saud responded with bullets, torture and arrests to this demand. Remarkably, because of this behavior, they fear the revolutionaries and have erected walls around their palaces and at the same time send messages to the Military Council in Egypt..." 

• Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi delivers his first major interview:
  • "If the conditions for equal dialogue without preconditions are present, we have no problem establishing relations with any country with the exception of the Zionist regime which we fundamentally reject... Concerning relations with Britain, the ambassadors of the two countries have not been called home. The former British ambassador has been sent to a new responsibility in Afghanistan and the British government has presented a new ambassador replacing the previous. We have not called our ambassador home... The relationship between the two countries is not desirable and the reason is because of positions taken by Britain and behavior of British statesmen in the international arena which is unacceptable and inexcusable. Because of this exact reason, the bilateral Tehran/London relations are not in a desirable state... But we have no doubt that the British government is aware of the important position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Middle East region and therefore, in order to have relations with Tehran, has no choice but to reconsider its behavior..."
  • "We have no prohibitions against establishing relations with any country but the Zionist regime, but there may be special circumstances with countries such as the United States... Should the United States reach the conclusion and be ready to engage in a dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran at completely equal terms and without any preconditions and also no longer commit its mistakes of the past and respect the rights of our nation, then, the circumstances would be different... His Holiness the Imam said that 'we don't want the relationship of the wolf and sheep,' the Supreme Leader of the Revolution has also said this on many occasions. The relationship that they want now is exactly the wolf and sheep relationship which we reject... Therefore, as long as the United States behaves in its own way, the issue of dialogue or political negotiation with the United States is out of the question... In international relations permanent enmity does not make any sense. We have heard about amity without reason, but not animosity without reason..."
  • "We have no special problems in our bilateral relations with [Saudi] Arabia and consider Arabia an important regional country with impact at international level... We have had good and cordial relations with Arabia for a long time. Following the regional events, some conflicts in understandings and analysis of regional dynamics emerged between the two countries... I believe that these misunderstandings between Tehran and Riyadh - which are due to regional dynamics - can be solved... There are different views [in Iran] concerning how to engage Arabia, and we hope a desirable method is found so we can politically discuss with Arabia in order to overcome those misunderstandings."  
  • "We respect the national sovereignty and independence of Bahrain and desire peace, stability and security of Bahrain... The Bahraini government has admitted that the Iranian government has had no intervention in the affairs of Bahrain and there is no reason why we would want to intervene in the affairs of this country... We believe that the Bahrain issue should be solved among the Bahrainis. In the beginning, effort was made to depict the Bahrain issue as an Iranian or Shia/Sunni or Arab and Persian issue, but thanks to divine benevolence and thanks to the vigilance of the Bahraini people and the illuminations [of the mind] made, none of these [attempts] succeeded."
  • "Elevation of the level of Tehran/Cairo relations to the ambassadorial level could improve regional stability and security since both Iran and Egypt desire regional stability and security." 

• [E] Vice-Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Reza Bahonar stressed that Tehran will continue its support for Lebanon and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement.

Military and Security

• A certain Commander Asemi, Qom Ali bin Abi-Taleb Revolutionary Guards Intelligence chief, and five other guardsmen are reportedly killed in clashes with PEJAK in Sardasht.
  • [E] Iran will continue military operations against the Iraq-based armed opposition group, PJAK (Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan), an Iranian provincial official announced.
• Basij Chief Mohammad-Reza Naqdi releases his poem criticizing Twitter and Facebook: "He could not hunt me with his gun so he has returned with musicians, Internet and musical instruments; he could not contain me with his navy, so he has returned with an eye pleasing toy; bombs and missiles failed to frighten me, now Facebook and Twitter spreading rumors have arrived; he used chemical [mortars] and I still did not retreat, no he has come with crack and heroin…."

Nuclear Issue

• Ali-Akbar Salehi delivers his first major interview as foreign minister: "No conflict is eternal. Therefore, one day, Iran's nuclear issue will be solved... We desire a win-win solution. Now, if the Westerners believe in this solution, they should show up at the negotiating table. We are ready. If they don't believe in it, they should continue their path, since the pressure has hardened us..."

Media

• Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture prohibits Iranians "communicating and cooperating with media of the hegemonists," especially "the BBC and VOA."

Photo of the Day

• "Slaves of Zionism" poster.