Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by the AEI Critical Threats Project's Iran research team. 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.

Politics

• Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with the Assembly of Experts to enumerate twelve duties for government officials:
  • Realism and viewing the many points of the country’s strength
  • Taking pride in the religious and revolutionary young generation
  • Attention to national capacities and using them: “These domestic capacities have guided system officials to the matter of resistance economy.”
  • Not neglecting the hostility of “enemies”:
    • “Until the time that the Islamic system and the Iranian nation are committed to the principles of Islam, the Revolution and independence, the enemy will not abandon its hostility; therefore you must not neglect the enemy.”
    • “The front of Arrogance [West] has a deep grudge towards the Iranian nation. Today you can see the depth of the enemies’ grudge in their statements.”
    • “The enemy is incapable in confronting the Islamic system and the Iranian nation despite deep hatred. It is due to this incapacity that it has turned to sanctions and they themselves know that the instrument of sanction has been useless since the beginning of the Revolution until now.”
  • Executing “resistance economy” policies
  • “Reliance on people and jihadi movement”
  • Constant attention to current circumstances and comparison with previous years
  • Not fearing the enemy and relying on God
  • Preserving and maintaining national unity
  • Attention to religious and revolutionary culture: “I am concerned about cultural issues…Cultural issue is important because the basis of perseverance and movement of the Islamic system depends upon preserving Islamic and revolutionary culture and strengthening the revolutionary and faithful cultural current.”
  • Not abandoning independence for the sake of globalization: “Independence is a border. Those who try to eliminate or reduce the religious, ideological and political borders do not serve the people and the country. No one opposes relations with the world, but it must be clear that with which countries we are to have relations with and what are the parameters of these relations.”
  • Keeping in mind that “Problems will not be solved if we surrender to the enemy.”
  • Creating discourse: “The said matters must transform to popular discourse and belief. It requires logical and scientific explanation of these matters far from various excesses and with kind words.”
  • “I truly thank officials who take swift position against the enemy and clearly announce that the Iranian nation and the Islamic revolution are not passive. Such swift positioning against the enemy must transform to discourse.” 
• MP Kamaleddin Pir Moazzen said, “Certain individuals introduce some matters in opposition with the Geneva Accord in order to preserve their own interests. Iranian interests in the Geneva Accord are in the path of strengthening the country. We have no competition to agree with the West at any price, and if there is supposed to be any problems, the Supreme Leader will surely enter.” 
• Representative of the Supreme Leader to Ardebil Province Hojjat al-Eslam Hassan Ameli and several other senior officials attended the inauguration of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)-affiliated media outlet Tasnim News Agency in Ardebil.  Ali Nour Ali Pour was appointed Director of Tasnim News Agency Representation in Ardebil Province. 
• National Security and Foreign Policy (NSFP) Parliamentary Commission Vice Chairman MP Mansour Haghighat Pour also attended Tasnim’s Ardebil province inauguration and said, “At the height of international developments, Tasnim has been a new method in correctly reflecting regional events sand transformations. It has been able to confront the media empire of the West. Not only is the capacity of the Islamic Republic of Iran introduced to the world with the birth of such international news agencies, rather there is an effort to fill the void in the media and press in this arena.” 

Military and Security

• IRGC Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Hossen Salami reacted to the AIPAC conference and said, “Just as we buried the dreams of the enemy at the fronts in the past, today our nation will bury the dreams of American officials alongside their Zionist friends.” He added, “Resistance economy is opening the road of victory in the path of the Iranian nation’s economic jihad.” 
• Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) Border Command Deputy Brig. Gen. Ahmad Garavand announced that the IRGC and the Artesh will begin training LEF commandos “for border activities on land and [at] sea.” 
• Head of IRGC Public Affairs Brig. Gen. 2C Ramezan Sharif announced that former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “Was not our [IRGC] choice and the performance of the Reformist [Khatami] administration led to Ahmadinejad’s election.” 
• IRGC-affiliated media outlet Tasnim News Agency has published an article on the Fateh-110 ballistic missile following the large volume transfer of this missile to the IRGC yesterday. Its range is reportedly more than 300 kilometers (186 miles), but no information has been provided on its payload. The missile is reportedly undetectable during launch and can be fired from both mobile and fixed launchers.   

Regional Developments and Diplomacy

• Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Power Plant Deputy Mohammad Ahmadian met with the Head of Rusatom Company Sergey Kirienko in Moscow and the two agreed “on the necessity of continuing bilateral cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy.” They also discussed the inauguration of new units in the Bushehr power plant. 
• Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa and said that his travel to Japan and Indonesia this past week has created “an opportunity [for Japan and Indonesia] to pursue widespread political and economic relations” with Iran. Zarif stated, “The Japanese need to have a more active role in the freeing of Iranian oil revenue in the hands of Japan. This revenue must be freed per the Geneva Accord.” 
• Lebanese Hezbollah announced the death of members Muhammad Ali Amhaz and Abbas Ahmad Farhat in Syria.  
• NSFP Parliamentary Commission member MP Ebrahim Agha Mohammadi said of the decision by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain to withdraw their ambassadors from Qatar: “It seems that the success of the Syrian government against terrorists has been the most important reason for division in the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.” 

Nuclear Issue

• Legal and International Affairs Deputy to the Foreign Minister and senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Eraghchi :
  • “In the nuclear matter, the hand of the Islamic system is full and we have reached what we have wanted. In this path, we are seeking to reduce the costs that the enemy has imposed on us. We believe that we have achieved our primary desire in the Geneva negotiations.”
  • “In the Geneva Accord, it must be clear whose will was imposed on the other. If this agreement says that Iran must continue its enrichment and America has set aside resolutions means that the Iranian nation is victorious.”
  • “The principle of enrichment is 3.5% and this warrants strength and pride.”
  • “It has come in this agreement that enrichment continues but it has not been introduced in this agreement that the Islamic Republic has the right to enrichment. On this basis, American media have begun psychological war.”
  • “The Geneva Accord has not made the Islamic system friends with America. This country is still our enemy. Our relations with America will not improve and we do not intend to negotiate with America.” 

Economy

• Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayebnia announced that the inflation rate will fall below 15% next year with the continuation of current trends. 
• Budget and Planning Parliamentary Commission member MP Musalreza Servati announced that approximately 20% of the population (15 million) lives below the poverty line.

?Photo of the Day

• Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addresses the Assembly of Experts.