Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh and Ahmad Majidyar. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English    

Politics

• Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, director of Ahmadinejad's office, addresses the people from Mazandaran at a meeting in Tehran: 
  • On his decision to run for the president, Mashaei said: "No one can stop me!"
  • "Offense is the best defense... We are intending to constantly be on the attack and we will not be gentlemanly towards anyone."
  • "The gentlemen have no documentation whatsoever when it comes to a fantastical movement called 'the current of deviation.' Just as Ahmadinejad has declared it, I too have prepared myself for martyrdom."
  • "We have been active for the past seven years. We will not so easily hand over the eleventh cabinet to [Mohammad-Baqer] Qalibaf."
  • "We have things [prepared files on] all those people who have attacked the cabinet during the past seven years."
  • "Every once in a while I cry because of the innocence of Ahmadinejad. The pressure is very hard. Had it not been for the support of the president I would most certainly have resigned."
    • Mashaei's office dismisses the reports concerning his statements.

Diplomacy

• Iranian Deputy foreign minister condemns Israel's "cowardly attacks" on Gaza.
• [E] Iran called on the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) to return to talks instead of paving the wrong path of pressures and sanctions against the Iranian nation.

Military and Security

• Chief of the General Staff Hassan Firouzabadi, commenting on the incident with the US drones, says Iran has not been "threatened by the United States in any way." 
• Amir-Farzad Esmaeili, Air Defense Force commander, says Ya Zahra III and Qader missiles will be test fired in the course of the Defenders of Guardianship IV war game.
• Iran says Afghanistan security will not be impacted by foreign troops’ withdrawal.

Economy

• The parliament passes a bill prohibiting the amount of the cash handout in 2013. 
• Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani addresses war veterans:
  • "One of the problems in our country is inflation and [un]employment. As long as liquidity is not directed towards production... inflation and unemployment will not be solved. For this to happen, one must ease the economic conditions and investment [opportunities]. Should this happen, our nation could most certainly leave the problems [caused by the] sanctions behind and reach development and progress."
• Parliamentarian Halimeh Ali warns against drought, unemployment, poverty and insecurity in Sistan va Baluchestan province.

Trade

• Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi imposes rationing on diesel in the wake of Turkmenistan ceasing its exports to Iran.
• Iran, close to the Ahmadinejad government, slams "the rich man lobby," which "stimulates imports from China." 

Religion, Society and Culture

• Policy analyst Sadeq Zibakalam and Hojjat al-Eslam Hossein Khosrowpanah discuss the role of religion in society: Video. 

Photo of the Day

• Hojjat al-Eslam Mehdi Hashemi, brother of the son in law of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, at the Clerical Court where he was sentenced to death.