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

Politics

• Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani warns Ahmadinejad against making accusations against the Judiciary in the $3 billion embezzlement case: "Destroying [the image] of the powers of the state - regardless who engages in it - is illogical and there is no excuse for it... There is no excuse for constantly saying: 'Why did you arrest this [person] and not the other,' or 'why did you free that person.'"  
• Hezbollah activist Said Qassemi reacting to Ahmadinejad's letter of condolences to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the passing of the Saudi Crown Prince, accuses Ahmadinejad of "dirtying the banner of Khomeini." Link on request.

Military and Security

• Masoud Jazayeri, General Staff Cultural and Propaganda deputy: "Israel's Dimona is the closest target within Iran's reach."
• Hassan Firouzabadi, chief of the General Staff: "The victory of the popular revolutions in Bahrain and Yemen have not been delayed much..."
• Revolutionary Guards Deputy Hossein Salami: "Unprecedented and rare events in the United States are a sign of the global arrogance being on the verge of collapse..."
• Basij Deputy Ali Fazli says the Basij will increase the number of members visiting the Iran/Iraq war sites.
• Colonel Hamid Ahmadi, Revolutionary Guards Ground Forces spokesman, says the Revolutionary Guards' skirmishes with PEJAK were because of the terrorist group's part in "conspiracies of the United States" in the border regions of Iran.
• Ali-Reza Tangsiri, Revolutionary Guards Navy deputy, addresses the guardsmen at Malek-e Ashtar University in Bandar Abbas, urges the students to study the oil and gas reserves of the Persian Gulf "on which the economy of the countries of the world is dependent."
• Hedayat Darvishvand, Roudbar Revolutionary Guards unit commander, reportedly killed in an explosion in Samarra, Iraq. 
• [E] A senior Iranian commander threatened to kill "dozens" of American military commanders, should the US kill any Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commanders and officials.

Nuclear Issue

• [E] A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official said Tehran has remained open to negotiations with the six world powers to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

Photos of the Day

• Tehran in snow.