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

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addressing judiciary officials in Mashhad urged the three powers of the state to cooperate with each other:
  • "The cabinet, the legislature and the judiciary are all at the unified front of defending Islam, the Iranian nation, and independence and identity of the country in the face of the struggle of the arrogant powers. By avoiding peripheral and hostile issues, they should help each other..." 
• According to Farda News, the following individuals are considering running for president in 2013: "Mohsen Rezaei, Ali Larijani, Said Jalili, Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, Kamran Baqeri Lankarani, Ali Nikzad, Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, Ali-Akbar Salehi, Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, Manouchehr Mottaki, Ali-Akbar Velayati, Hassan Rowhani, Mohammad-Ali Najafi, Eshaq Jahangiri, Mohammad-Reza Aref, Mohammad Khatami, etc..."

Diplomacy

• Alef News' discusses the foreign policy failures of the Ahmadinejad government and asks why Ahmadinejad visited Brazil while no Brazilian authority was ready to welcome him in the airport.
  • Ali-Akbar Farazi, former ambassador to Romania, says the Foreign Ministry has been purged of experts.
  • Javad Mansouri, former ambassador to China, says the Foreign Ministry no longer takes any decisions and that the Presidency has taken over control.
  • Shams al-Din Khareqani, former ambassador to Germany, criticizes the instability within the diplomatic cadre of the Foreign Ministry.
  • Mohammad-Ebrahim Taherian, former ambassador to Afghanistan and Pakistan, criticizes use of inexperienced personnel at the Foreign Ministry.
• [E] Former Spokesman of Egyptian Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood) Party Kamal al-Halbavi underlined the necessity for the resumption of Tehran-Cairo ties. 

Military and Security

• Masoud Jazayeri, General Staff deputy, says the policy of the Islamic Republic is "threat for threats." He adds that if Iran is attacked, "We have attacks on our agenda, and if necessary, have planned for attacks in multiple directions."
• According to Hojjat al-Eslam Amrollah Mohammadi, representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards in the IRGC Navy's second operational zone, "in 2009, it was only the Guards which supported the Leader to the very end." 
• Aftab News runs a story about the Islamic Republic's radar systems.
• According to Fars News, 66 members of the parliament are former members of the Revolutionary Guards and the Intelligence Ministry.
• [E] A senior commander of the Iranian Army Navy announced on Wednesday that all Iranian Navy vessels, including its submarines, have been renovated with super modern systems and hi-tech equipment.

Nuclear Issue

• Khamenei comments on "the mayhem against the Islamic Republic" when it comes to "human rights" and "nuclear energy":
  • "These bullying powers who falsely call themselves 'the international society' are trying to bereave the Islamic Republic of Iran of popular support... The main target of the sanctions imposed by the arrogant powers is to pressure the people to the degree that they abandon the Islamic regime, but thanks to divine wisdom, this conspiracy too will come to naught. They do not yet know our people and our authorities... They are themselves struggling with unsolvable and serious problems, while Iran, thanks to divine benevolence, has all the facilities needed..."   

Economy

• Central Bank Director General Mahmoud Bahmani reassures the public that the bank can satisfy the public's need for foreign currency, but urges the people not to "fall victim to political and psychological games of the market," and not withdraw their cash from the financial institutions.
• One dollar reaches 19,180 rials.
  • Fararou puts the exchange rate at 19,280 rials.
• Shafaf News asks if it should believe the Central Bank's report on inflation which documents rising prices, or government reports on declining price of foodstuff.
• Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati warns against increasing corruption in Iran.
• [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani underlined the necessity for stronger economic efforts by the Iranian nation and officials, and cautioned that hegemonic states are attempting to create an atmosphere of economic disappointment in Iran. 

Trade

• Iran’s ambassador to Seoul threatens to stop imports from South Korea if South Korea joins the oil embargo against Iran on July 1st.
• Foreign Mionister Ali-Akbar Salehi visiting his counterpart in Kazakhstan stresses the need to expand trade relations to $5 billion.
• According to Esmail Mahsouli, deputy energy minister, the Islamic Republic is trying to get access to the alternative energy market in Latin America.
• According to Shafaf News, half a million Iraqi tourists visited Iran last year.

Photo of the Day

• Khamenei and Judiciary Chief Sadeq Larijani.