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 receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.
 
(E) = Article in English

Military and Security

• Major General Qassem Suleimani, Revolutionary Guards Quds Force commander, in a conversation with Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah warns Hezbollah against engaging in "any preemptive strike against the Zionist regime." According to Botia News in Kerman, Suleimani said:
  • "The authority of those who believe in preemptive strikes against the Zionist regime must be restricted... [Your] arms and preparedness to destroy Tel Aviv, and even your capacity to engage in continuous strikes against Eilat in Southern Occupied Palestine should not make you proud..."
  • "Hezbollah's victory in the 33 day war [2006 war in Lebanon] was not because of the power of the weapons but because of the power of faith and divine help... On the first day of the new year, the Supreme Leader [speaking] at the Imam Reza mausoleum clearly said: 'God guarantees victory of the believers when we are defenders. If we start, the Quran has not guaranteed our victory...' One expected that after these final [fasl al-khetab] remarks of the Supreme Leader, all chatter about a preemptive strike should end... Today, the Zionist regime is in total isolation and is facing a serious legitimacy crisis. Any attack would depict them as victims and us as unjust aggressors which would mobilize the public sympathy for them. This would harm us... The claim that in order to relieve Syria of crisis one must create another crisis for the Zionist regime is false and serves as an excuse to prove extremist viewpoints... In order to liberate the Al-Aqsa mosque one must stress on awakening the people rather than relying on arms."
    • Javan Online quotes "an informed source" who dismisses "the rumor of the meeting between Commander Suleimani and Hezbollah General Secretary Nasrallah. (The article is now removed from Javan website) 
    • Javan Online republishes a shorter version of the dismissal in which the Revolutionary Guards Public Relations dismisses the interview as a great lie and deviant news fabrication of the Zionists.
      • Sepah News, the official IRGC Public Relations site, releases a short refutation.
    • Mashregh News releases the original refutation as published by Javan Online: "According to Mashregh, a source informed about publication of some news about "request of Commander Qassem Suleimani from Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in order to prevent some extremist and hardline views in Hezbollah" told Fars News: "This story is certainly false since fundamentally there is no extremism in Hezbollah, despite the West's attempts at depicting Hezbollah factionalism... It is the West which claims there are cleavages within the Hezbollah forces and distinguishes between moderates and radicals. But of course, this trick of theirs was not even effective during the 33 day war. For the time being, Hezbollah is the most organized Lebanese group which has managed to preserve its cohesion during its lifetime. This is why they use the Zionist trick of distinguishing between radicals and moderates in order to overcome their own fear... In this process their goal is fundamentally to tarnish the Lebanese Hezbollah. They try to distort the image of Hezbollah."   
• Ali Qaderi, Asr-e Iran's analyst, gives six reasons why Israel will not attack Iran:
  • "There is no clear assessment of Iran's decisive answers to this attack..."
  • "Since completing the enrichment cycle, Iran has reached the point of no return... In the best case, attack would slow down Iran's nuclear program..."
  • "Israel has usually enjoyed a quiet domestic front during wars... In a future war, the domestic setting could become a war scene..."
  • "There is no consensus among the Israeli elites..."
  • "The Israeli economy is not prepared to tolerate the consequences of such a destructive war..."
  • "Such an attack faces strong United States resistance..."

Politics

• Asr-e Iran compiles a list of Ahmadinejad speeches in which he blames "conspirators" for shortcomings of the government.

Diplomacy

• Reactions to the planned union between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia:
  • The Islamic Propagation Council urges the public to rally against the "American plan of annexation of Bahrain by Saudi Arabia." The statement reads: "On Friday, the great Iranian nation, in a protest against this satanic American scheme, shouts its disgust against the stooges of the Khalifa and Al Saud clans... This dangerous conspiracy, the result of the ominous triangle of Global Arrogance the United States, Britain and the usurping Zionist regime, aims at preventing the spread of popular uprisings from one country to other countries, controlling and containing the internal situation in Bahrain as the Khalifa regime is unable to control the domestic situation, instigating wars between the states in the Persian Gulf region, and creating tensions in the Middle East..."
  • Ayatollah Hossin Nouri Hamadani addresses the members of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij: "The people of Bahrain should not allow Bahrain to be annexed by Saudi Arabia since the United States is behind this hegemony. And in order to achieve hegemony over the people in the region, it [the United States] defends these governments and their strategy."
• Parliamentarian Mostafa Kavakebian criticizes the "passivity" of the Foreign Ministry in the face of expulsion of Iranian citizens form the United Arab Emirates.

Trade

• Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi dismisses the International Energy Agency’s report on Iran's problems with "unsold oil":
  • "This is not true. Our oil export has not declined...”
  • Answering question about accumulating 30 million barrels of oil in tankers in the Persian Gulf Qassemi said: This is not at all true, and our oil is being sold easily."

Photos of the Day

• Asr-e Iran comments on Hamid Baqaei's management style: "Ahmadinejad desires this type of managers..." 
• Mohammad Saatchi Hamadani repairs the clock of Shams al-Emareh at the Golestan palace complex in Tehran.