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 Analysts Marie Donovan, Paul Bucala, and Caitlin Shayda Pendleton. 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.
 

Key takeaway: The Guardian Council refused to confirm the parliamentary election results in three districts.  
 

The Guardian Council annulled votes in an electoral district in the southern province of Hormozgan due to unspecified “violations.” The Guardian Council also announced that there will be a “review” of the results in Ahar, East Azerbaijan province and a recount of votes in Tabriz, also in East Azerbaijan province. A Guardian Council member stated that the results of the review in Ahar will be announced before the first session of the new Parliament on May 27, but he added that Tabriz’s votes may not be recounted in time due to “the number of voting boxes.” The Guardian Council, a largely unelected 12-member body constitutionally charged with overseeing Iran’s elections, must confirm the results of the April 29 runoff parliamentary elections in each district before they are official. It is rare for the Guardian Council to refuse to confirm election results, particularly by annulling them.

Interior Ministry Spokesman Hossein Ali Amiri told reporters that a dispute resolution council formed to settle disagreements among the three branches of government has not announced its final decision regarding Minoo Khaleghi, a reformist politician whom the Guardian Council controversially disqualified after she won a seat in the parliamentary elections. American news outlets have previously reported that the dispute resolution council upheld Khaleghi’s disqualification.

The Guardian Council also approved amendments to the budget for the Iranian calendar year 1395 (March 20, 2016 - March 20, 2017). The Guardian Council had previously returned the budget to the Parliament twice with objections. One of the rejections was reportedly due in part to the Guardian Council’s disapproval of the unconditional allocation of subsidies to households with five or more members regardless of income, as well as the lack of clarity regarding the National Development Fund’s share in oil revenues.

Judiciary Spokesman Hojjat ol Eslam Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei told reporters that the Judiciary will investigate Faezeh Hashemi, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s daughter, for a recent meeting she held with a Baha’i leader. Senior officials including Rafsanjani himself have criticized her for meeting with Baha’is, whom they accused of being agents for the U.S. and Israel. In addition to widespread discrimination against Baha’is in employment and education, officials often accuse Baha’is of threatening national security by acting on behalf of enemy states.

AEI Must-Reads

• Paul Bucala analyzes the recent setback IRGC forces encountered in Syria in “What the Khan Tuman defeat means for Iran.”
   

• Matthew McInnis analyzes the future of Iran-Iraq relations following the storming of the Iraqi parliament by supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada al Sadr in “Is Iran’s Iraq policy coming apart?”

Domestic Politics

• Guardian Council orders recount and invalidates votes in electoral districts. Guardian Council member Siamak Rahpeyk announced that the Guardian Council has annulled votes in the electoral district of Bandar Lengeh, Bastakm, and Parsian in Hormozgan province due to unspecified “violations.” Khaled Zemzemnejad, who was endorsed by the reformist-moderate “List of Hope,” had won the single seat in Parliament for that district in the runoff elections. Rahpeyk also announced that there will be a “review” of results in Ahar, East Azerbaijan province and a recount of votes in Tabriz, also in East Azerbaijan province. Two reformists, one principlist, and one independent had won the four seats available for Tabriz in the runoff elections. Rahpeyk stated that the results of the review in Ahar will be announced before the first session of the new Parliament on May 27, but he added that Tabriz’s votes may not be recounted before the first session due to “the number of voting boxes.” (IRIB) (Ana)
   
• Guardian Council approves annual budget. The Guardian Council approved amendments to the budget for the Iranian calendar 1395 [March 20, 2016 - March 20, 2017]. The Guardian Council had previously returned the budget to the Parliament twice with objections. (IRIB)
   
• Interior Ministry: Minoo Khaleghi’s disqualification is not yet final. Interior Ministry Spokesman Hossein Ali Amiri told reporters that a dispute resolution council formed to settle disagreements among the three branches of government has not announced its decision regarding Minoo Khaleghi, a reformist politician whom the Guardian Council disqualified after she won a seat in the parliamentary elections. Khaleghi’s case was sent to the dispute resolution council after President Hassan Rouhani and his administration argued that only Parliament -- not the Guardian Council -- has the right to review candidates’ qualifications after election day. (ILNA)

• Judiciary to investigate Rafsanjani’s daughter for meeting with Baha’is. Judiciary Spokesman Hojjat ol Eslam Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei stated that the Judiciary will investigate Faezeh Hashemi, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s daughter, for a recent meeting with Fariba Kamalabadi, a Baha’i leader. Ejei called the meeting “very disgusting and obscene” and added that Faezeh Hashemi’s refusal to apologize for the meeting is “even worse.” Senior officials, including Rafsanjani himself, have criticized Hashemi for meeting with Baha’is. (Alef)
   

• Parliamentarian criticizes media blackout on former reformist president. Parliamentarian Hossein Dehdashti criticized an ongoing media ban against the name and image of former reformist president Mohammad Khatami during an open session of Parliament on May 17. Dehdashti called it “laughable” that Iranian state television airs images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but not of Khatami. He also noted that there is confusion even among parliamentarians about the legal origins of the media ban, particularly whether the ban was ordered by the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) or the Judiciary. President Hassan Rouhani has publicly disagreed with the Judiciary in the past by asserting that the SNSC has not passed any resolution creating the media ban. (Kaleme)

• Khamenei: Resistance against U.S. is main source of Iran’s power. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the U.S. and “certain Muslim governments” for helping implement U.S. policies in the Middle East during a speech in Tehran. He stated that “resistance against America is the main point of Iran's prowess… Neither the enemy's promises deceive us nor its threats frighten us.” (Press TV) (E)
   

Regional Developments and Diplomacy

• Velayati warns of Syrian instability spreading to Iran and Iraq. Ali Akbar Velayati discussed regional instability during a meeting with Iraqi clerics and intellectuals. The Supreme Leader’s Senior Foreign Policy Advisor stated that if Syria’s “government falls and the takfiris… dominate the country, this will adversely affect both Lebanon and Iraq… we should be serious about what is happening in Syria because if the government and nation of Syria are defeated by the takfiris, they will take the next step in Iraq, and Iran will not remain immune [to] their aggressions.” He also praised Hezbollah’s role in Syria, stating, “Without Hezbollah’s presence, it would have been impossible to form such a highly valuable and resistant front in Syria. [Hezbollah] has disappointed Syria’s regional and international enemies.” (IRNA) (E) (Mehr News Agency) 
   
• Foreign Ministry: Recent wave of attacks in Iraq reflects ISIS’s fear. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari denounced the recent wave of attacks in Baghdad, including the four bombings on May 17 that killed at least 77 people and wounded over 140. Ansari credited the “growing pace of terrorist blasts” to ISIS losing territory in Iraq.  Ansari also expressed Iran’s appreciation for “the role and efforts” of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq and called for “Iraqi tribes and political parties to stick to unity and accelerate the pace of efforts in addressing pressing problems of the country.” (Mehr News Agency) (E)
   

Casualties in Iraq and Syria

• News agency confirms cleric’s death in Syria. ABNA confirmed the death of an Iranian cleric named Majid Solimanian in Aleppo province. ABNA noted that “no further details” on the time, location, or “type” of his death have been released. (ABNA)
   
• Five Fatimiyoun and Zeinabiyoun Brigade members buried in Qom.
  • Yadullah Sayei and Rahmatullah Azimi were members of the Afghan Shia militia Fatimiyoun Brigade. Iftikhar Hossein, Abdul Ali Asadi, and Hossein Ahmadi were members of the Pakistani Shia militia Zeinabiyoun Brigade. They were buried in Qom province on May 18. The dates and locations of their deaths were not provided. (Mehr News Agency)
     
• Four Fatimiyoun Brigade members killed in Syria.
  • Aref Hosseini, Zaher Hosseini, Habib Sajjadi, and Ali Sajjad Safdari will be buried in Tehran on May 19. (Basij Press)