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 subscribe to this daily newsletter, please visit this page, fill out the "New Subscribers" section, and check "Iran News Round Up" listed under "Projects." 
 
(E) = Article in English

Politics

• Islamic Republic of Iran Voice and Vision likens Ahmadinejad to Shoaib Ibn Saleh, a Shi’a figure who will prepare the ground for the emergence of the Imam of the Era. Video
• News stories related to Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani’s candidacy for the chairman of the Assembly of Experts:
  • Kani's statements about the ideological foundations of the regime and the curerent state of affairs in Iran.
  • Fars News Agency releases the name of Assembly of Experts members who support Kani's candidacy.
  • According to Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Salek, Kani will run for the position.
• Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Farshi says Rafsanjani most probably will not run for another term as the head of the Assembly of Experts.
• According to Khodnevis Blog, Iranian-American academic Houshang Amir-Ahmadi has had meetings with Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani in London. According to Khodnevis, Farrokh Negahdar, who was convicted of terrorism during the Shah regime, was also scheduled to participate in the meetings. The report adds that Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani has increased the number of his visits to Paris, which has become one of the activity centers of the Green Movement.
• [E] Scholar argues that Mir Hossein Mousavi, a key opposition leader in Iran, has been backed by the MKO “terrorist” group.

Diplomacy

• [E] Iran has called for the UN Human Rights Council and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to probe into western countries’ “crimes” in supporting regional dictators.
• [E] Iran rejects reports on Bahraini delegation visit to Iran.
• [E] Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq have agreed on issuing joint visa, according to Iran’s deputy Vice President.

Military and Security

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the Intelligence Ministry employees:
  • "The Intelligence Ministry... is today a great base for combat and holy struggle in the field of intelligence warfare... The Intelligence Ministry has made good long-term plans, but comprehensive strategic plans with regard to other important issues must be completed, because the most fundamental duties of this institution are to prepare in-depth, long-term plans.”
  • Other issues raised by Khamenei  included: “Maintaining the cohesiveness of the Intelligence Ministry, the necessity of non-partisan analysis, precision and sensitiveness towards enemy infiltration and infiltration of faulty intellectual and political movements, and utilizing experiences of trained personnel."
• Salar Abnoush, Qazvin Saheb al-Amr Revolutionary Guards unit chief:
  • "During the days of Moses, some deviated and worshipped [the golden] calf. Worship of the calf was a dishonor, which can't be cleansed. Back then, despite presence of Moses and all those signs and reasons, the people worshipped the calf. And in our era, individuals such as Mousavi and Karrubi were like our Samaras and were worshipped by some calf worshippers..."
  • "We have a serious responsibility to ensure this revolution is not deviated. Until recently, we feared the sedition, which of course was real and deep. And it was with the help of the divine benevolence and the management and happiness of the Moses of the age [Supreme Leader Khamanei] that the sedition was suppressed..."
  • "The very same sedition is now aligning itself with another movement which is deviation. They are uniting and future elections will be more complicated..."
  • "There was once a group called the reform [movement], the Second of Khordad [Front] and sedition. They were all one and we were on the opposite side. Today, there is something in the middle called deviation, which we must take a sharp look at and ask God for help because it is so complicated that it is very difficult to make a judgment..."
  • "If the elections for the ninth parliament do not result in line with our values, the year 2012 will be a very dangerous and bloody year..."
  • "Experts with good analysis a record of correct predictions have said that if the next parliament is not a sound one, 2012 will be the year of bloodshed and sedition because we will be fighting against each other and the movement of deviation will come to the surface..."
  • "Greater attention must be paid [to the the Assembly of Expert elections]. Better records, research and analysis must be provided in this regard so that capable candidates are not disqualified and those in need of warnings are issued warnings..."
  • "The movement of deviation is very intelligent and smart. One must pay attention. The sedition operated with a twenty-year plan. In the first Friday prayer after the passing of the Imam [Khomeini], they [Rafsanjani] said, ‘We will no longer call anyone an Imam,’ which we thought was a sign of sincerity but it was the beginning of sedition..."
• Commander Ramezan Sharif, Revolutionary Guards public relations chief, says Commander Abnoush has been "misquoted."
• [E] Iranian Naval Commander announces the construction of new, advanced destroyers to increase Iran’s naval capabilities.
• [E] Iranian Air Force says it has successfully tested the research model of a radar evading aircraft known as the “Sofreh Mahi” (flatfish.)
• [E] Defense Minister unveils Iran's first domestically-made self-propelled Howitzer cannon.

Economy

• [E] South Pars gas production hits record high in the past month.

Iran in the Afghan Media

• Gen. Josef Blotz, spokesman for the International Security Forces in Afghanistan, says the Taliban receives weapons from Iran, but adds there is no evidence the Iranian government is behind it.

Photo of the Day

• Nowruz shopping season in Tehran.