Iran News Round Up
The Iran News Round Up ran from February 2009-September 2018. Visit the Iran File for the latest analysis.
Key takeaway: The Iranian representative of prominent Shia cleric Isa Qassim promised a “bloodbath” in the event of the cleric’s arrest.
The Bahraini government rescheduled a trial on money laundering and other charges for a third time for May after Bahraini oppositions groups launched a civil disobedience campaign on March 14. Qassim’s trial had previously been scheduled for March 14. Sheikh Abdullah Daqaq had warned that a “bloodbath will occur” if the Bahraini government arrests Qassim. Bahraini clerics had also called on the people to travel to Qassim’s village of Diraz and demonstrate solidarity. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the international affairs adviser to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, warned ahead of the March 14 trial date that that the Bahraini government is “facing a serious crisis.” Iranian officials explicitly encouraged protests against the Bahraini government during unrest last year surrounding the government’s revocation of Qassim’s citizenship and crackdown against Bahrain’s largest Shia political group.
This Iran News Round Up predominantly covers events from March 13.
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Bahraini cleric’s representative in Iran promises “bloodbath” in the event of cleric’s arrest.
Sheikh Abdullah Daqaq, the representative of prominent Shia cleric Isa Qassim in Iran, stated that if Qassim “is arrested, a bloodbath will occur in Bahrain.” Daqaq also stated that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has spoken with Bahraini officials regarding Qassim’s status. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the international affairs adviser to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, warned that the Bahraini government is “facing a serious crisis” and “should know that it will never be able to bear the consequences of such an unwise measure” as Qassim’s trial. Hojjat ol Eslam Hassan Akhtiari, the secretary-general the Ahul Bayt World Assembly, penned an open letter to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on March 12 calling for “efforts to stop” the Bahraini government’s “crackdown” on its people. (Tasnim News Agency) (E) (Press TV) (E) (Fars News Agency) (E) (Tasnim News Agency) (E) (Fars News Agency)
Larijani: Attempts to improve Egypt-Iran relations have been fruitless.
Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani discussed Iran-Egypt relations during a press conference on March 13. Larijani noted that relations between the two countries deteriorated following the Camp David Accords, but stressed that “Today, conditions in the region have changed a great deal. We welcome every step which leads to normal and friendly relations between Iran and Egypt.” Larijani acknowledged that “Egypt is an important country for the resolution of regional issues,” but stated: “Steps towards the deepening of [Iran-Egypt] relations have been taken, but they have produced no result yet.” (Fars News Agency)
Foreign Ministry warns Iranians not to travel to Turkey following harassment incident.
The Foreign Ministry advised Iranian nationals not to travel to Turkey “due to emergency conditions” in that country. The Foreign Ministry’s warning follows reports that Turkish border security harassed an Iranian traveler recently at the Iran-Turkey border. National Security and Foreign Policy Parliamentary Commission member Hossein Naghavi Hosseini stated that the commission will be looking into the reports. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani stated that the Foreign Ministry’s statement “does not mean” that Iran-Turkey relations have become “abnormal,” and stressed that "Turkey is a friend of ours, and we have high-level trade ties with that country.” Larijani noted that Iran nonetheless expects Turkish officials “to have decency in their statements and stances” after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Iran of increasing sectarian tensions in the region last month. (Tasnim News Agency) (E) (Tasnim News Agency) (E) (Fars News Agency) (E)
Zarif condemns U.S. decision to send additional troops to Syria.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reacted to the U.S. decision to send an additional 400 troops to Syria ahead of the battle for Raqqa. Zarif stated, “Regardless of the views of our friends in Damascus, we believe that presence of the U.S. forces in Syria will exacerbate the crisis in the country.” (Fars News Agency) (E)
Citations & Links
1.
Tasnim News Agency
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/03/13/1354277/arrest-of-sheikh-qassim-to-be-followed-by-bloodbath-in-bahrain-representative
2.
Press TV
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/03/13/1354277/arrest-of-sheikh-qassim-to-be-followed-by-bloodbath-in-bahrain-representative
3.
Fars News Agency
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951222000595
4.
Tasnim News Agency
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/03/13/1353921/iranian-cleric-warns-un-chief-of-human-rights-situation-in-bahrain
5.
Fars News Agency
http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951223001285
Citations & Links
1.
Fars News Agency
http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951223000847
Citations & Links
1.
Tasnim News Agency
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/03/13/1354059/iran-parliament-to-look-into-case-of-mistreatment-at-turkey-border
2.
Tasnim News Agency
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/03/13/1354341/iranian-speaker-urges-turkey-to-observe-decency-in-stances
3.
Fars News Agency
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951222001045
Citations & Links
1.
Fars News Agency
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951222000826
Reformist council selects Rouhani as presidential candidate.
The Reformist Policymaking Council endorsed President Hassan Rouhani as its candidate in the May 19, 2017 presidential elections. The council is led by senior reformist politician Mohammad Reza Aref. Aref was cleared to run in the 2013 presidential elections, but dropped from the race days before election day. (YJC)
- A group of reformist-moderate “List of Hope” Parliamentary faction members met with President Hassan Rouhani. The group reportedly urged Rouhani to address the Judiciary-mandated media ban on reformist Former President Mohammad Khatami and the plight of political prisoners in Iran. (Radio Farda)
Son of Green Movement leader sentenced to six-month prison sentence.
Authorities sentenced Mohammad Hossein Karroubi to six months in prison for publishing an open letter from his father, 2009 Green Movement Leader Mehdi Karroubi, last year. Mehdi Karroubi, who has been under house arrest since 2011, called for a trial in the open letter dated April 2016. (Jamaran.ir)
Citations & Links
1.
Radio Farda
http://www.radiofarda.com/a/f4_rouhani_ask_aactivists_khatami_ban_prisoners/28366899.html
2.
YJC
http://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/6014607/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA-%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-96-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%BE%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AB%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%B1-%D9%85%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%85
Citations & Links
1.
Jamaran.ir
http://www.jamaran.ir/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B1-59/591603-%D8%AD%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%86-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A8%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AD%D8%A8%D8%B3-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%AD%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%AF
