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 Analyst Will Fulton. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

Politics

• A group of "cyber space activists" have sent a letter to Parliament urging it to pay "special attention" to the Supreme Cyber Space Council in the upcoming fiscal year. The letter was sent two days after Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati's Friday Prayer remarks, in which he emphasized the importance of the council: "The Leader of the revolution had said, 'If I could I would personally take responsibility of this council' which demonstrates [its] importance." Hojjat al-Eslam Hamid Shahriari, a member of the Council, echoed this view and stated that in the Supreme Leader's view, "this center is as important as the Islamic Revolution." Members of Parliament have allocated approximately $500,000 to the council in the upcoming fiscal budget.
• Representative of the Supreme Leader to the IRGC Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi said, "our country's governance is based on Qur'anic governance and if anyone deviates from this axis he will be excluded."
• Head of the Assembly of Experts Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani advised Principlists to reach unity and have a maximum of two presidential candidates.

Regional Developments

• An anonymous source in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that "Arab governments' allegations that Iran supports terrorist activities in Bahrain and Yemen are unrealistic and imaginary."

Military and Security

• Defense Minister MG Ahmad Vahidi announced the deployment of the newly developed Jamaran 2 destroyer in the Caspian Sea.

Economy

• Iranian gasoline production and consumption has equalized after the inauguration of the Imam Khomeini oil refinery today. The location has an eight million liters per day crude oil refinery capacity. According to Fars News, Iran has become a self-sufficient oil producer by increasing capacity and controlling consumption levels despite Western sanctions. 

Photo of the Day

• Expediency Council member Habibollah Asgarowladi attends the National Conference of Followers of the Front of Imam [Khomeini] and the Supreme Leader.