Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analysts Mehrdad Moarefian and Marie Donovan, with contributor Ryan Melvin.To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Excerpts of these translations may only be used with the expressed consent of the authors.

Key takeaway: IRGC Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri explicitly stated that Iran will not allow “any” inspections of its military sites, while senior Parliamentarian Hassan Aboutorabi Fard warned the P5+1 that Tehran will “speed up” enrichment activity if sanctions are not removed.

IRGC Brigadier Massoud Jazayeri reinforced the Supreme Leader’s redline on IAEA-led inspections of military sites, stating: "We will not allow any visits to military centers, whether [they are] limited, controlled, and non-free or in any other form." The Armed Forces General Staff Headquarters Basij Affairs and Defense Culture Deputy stressed that this has been and will continue to be Iran’s position. Deputy Parliament Speaker Hassan Aboutorabi Fard, moreover, cautioned the P5+1 against making excessive demands. He specifically warned Washington that if sanctions are not removed under a final nuclear agreement with the U.S., "Tehran would revive and speed up its nuclear activities, including its enrichment program…” Deputy-level nuclear negotiations continued in Vienna Austria. Experts from both sides are scheduled to meet on June 6 to discuss technical issues regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.

IRGC Qods Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani reportedly visited “conflict zones in Syria,” specifically “the Joreen region in northwest Hama.” Three Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, meanwhile, were killed while fighting in Syria’s Qalamoun region.

AEI Resident Fellow J. Matthew McInnis shed light on Iranian grandstanding on redlines and how the leadership is coming to terms with the concessions needed to reach a nuclear deal in his most recent blog “Iran in knots over inspections, interrogations, and Western spies.”

Nuclear Talks

• Expert-level negotiations to run through Saturday. Iran and the P5+1 held deputy-level nuclear talks on June 5 in Vienna, Austria. Technical talks over Tehran’s nuclear program will be held at the expert-level on June 6 in Vienna. (Mehr News)
   
• Jazayeri: Armed Forces will not allow inspections of military facilities. IRGC Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri stated on Friday: "We will not allow any visits to military centers, whether [they are] limited, controlled, and non-free or in any other form." He added that this viewpoint has been emphasized frequently by the leaders and military commanders within the country. (Sepah News)
   
• Majlis Deputy Speaker: Remove U.S sanctions or nuclear program will “speed up.” The Deputy Parliament Speaker Hassan Aboutorabi Fard stated Thursday night that Tehran would not compromise on its “inalienable nuclear rights.” He further stated: "Tehran would revive and speed up its nuclear activities, including its enrichment program, in [the] case [that] the U.S refrains from removing all the sanctions against Iran under a final deal." (Fars News Agency) (E)
   
• Zarif urges western powers to respect Lausanne agreement. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated Thursday that an agreement can occur if the “Western countries…harness their excessive demands and respect the Lausanne understanding.” He continued that without mutual respect during the negotiations, “the situation will grow difficult.” (IRNA) (E)

Regional Developments and Diplomacy

• Al Mayadeen reports that Soleimani visited Syria. According to al Mayadeen news outlet, IRGC Qods Force Commander Brig. Gen. Qassem Soleimani “visited conflict zones in Syria,” including “the Joreen region in northwest Hama.” Al Mayadeen also reported that “There were Syrian army movements performed simultaneously with the visit of Syrian and Iranian officials.” (Qasemsoleimani.ir)
   
• Esmaili: Russians are following through on S-300 delivery. Brig. Gen. Farzad Esmaili stated, “The Iranian Defense Ministry is following up the contract on the delivery of the [S-300 air defense] systems and Russia is also fulfilling its undertaking."  Regarding “Iran’s air defense capabilities,” the Khatam ol Anbia Air Defense Base Commander also stated, “We have made a lot of efforts in this regard and our reliance is on home-made products…" (Fars News Agency) (E)
   
• Three Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria. Lebanese Hezbollah fighters Hossein Mohsen Salman, Ahmad Reza Salman, and Mohammad Ahmad Sarur were reportedly killed in a clash with the Free Syrian Army and al Qaeda forces on June 4 in Qalamoun region of Syria. (ABNA) (Raja News)

Military and Security

• Border Guards General: No full confirmation that ISIS is in the region. Commander of the Border Guards Brig. Gen. Qassem Rezaei stated: "There are no reports to fully confirm ISIS's presence in Afghanistan and other countries of this region..." He added though that there are other violent groups, without specifying, in the region and that "work is underway over their case too.”  This statement follows recents remarks made by Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi and Brig. Gen. Ahmad Pourdastan (see Iran News Roundup June 2)(Fars News Agency) (E) (Fars News Agency) (E)