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    

Diplomacy

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the Hajj [pilgrimage] authorities:
  • "The reality about Syria is that the front of arrogance desires to annihilate the chain of resistance in the region which is the neighbor of the usurping Zionist regime... It is natural that whenever the opposition is armed from abroad, the ruling regime will deal with it... If the opponents abandon armed struggle in Syria, there would be opportunities for the government to listen to the viewpoints of the opponents..."
• Mansour Haqiqatpour, parliamentary National Security Committee deputy:
  • "We experienced both Bush Jr. and Obama. Were Mr. Obama's [hostile] deeds any lesser than those of Bush? Mr. Obama has imposed heavy sanctions against Syria, Iran and Venezuela. Bush would severe heads with sword, and Obama with cotton thread. The important thing is that they both severe [heads]."
• According to Diplomasi-ye Irani, Hezbollah of Lebanon has received $40 million to finance a dam project.
• [E] Khamenei called on the Syrian opposition forces to end armed campaign against the Damascus government to pave the ground for talks.

Military and Security

• Mansour Haqiqatpour, parliamentary National Security Committee deputy:
  • "In my opinion, even if they choose the military option, it would make no different to us. What was the result of their military option in Iraq? Right now, when they want to pass through the southern waters of Iran, fearing our warrior kids, they pass through the waters of Oman. They even fear passing through the international waters close to us... No, we are not threatening them, but we defend ourselves. But they fear us so much that they pass through Omani waters, which has led to Omani protests against it. We are a powerful nation. We fear neither their arms nor sanctions. But in reality, there is no difference between sanctions or arms. One [of Americans] says we will launch military attack, and another one says we will not allow you to transfer your money and sell oil."  
• According to Nimrooz News, the missiles fired by Hamas against Israel are made in Iran and provided to Hamas by the Islamic Republic.
  • Asr-e Iran criticizes the Islamic republic authorities for insisting that Hamas is armed with Iranian missiles: "First, in doing so, we are degrading the efforts and bravery of Palestinian resistance fighters and credit ourselves for opposing Israel... One must also pay attention to the legal and political implications of such headlines. Right now, there are tens of cases against our country in the courts of the United States, Europe and other Western countries, some of which have reached verdicts and our country has been condemned to paying tens and sometimes hundreds of millions of dollar in reparation to one or a few survivors of explosions in Palestine and Lebanon... The pretext for such verdicts has on many occasions been the alliance of and the cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Iran with groups such as the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Hamas in Palestine, or arming them. Therefore, even if the Fajr V missiles are truly given to Hamas by Iran, under the present conditions when the regime does not acknowledge this, there is no reason to make such a media fuss about it..."
• Tehran Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Revolutionary Guards unit declares its readiness to rush to the "aid of the people in Palestine and Lebanon," with "the decree of the Supreme Leader."

Nuclear Issue

• Mansour Haqiqatpour, parliamentary National Security Committee deputy:
  • "In the course of negotiations, it is possible that we will accept suspension of 20% enrichment, but this would be an act of benevolence of ours, since we have the right to continue enrichment as long as we need to do so. But if they speak sincerely in the course of negotiations, it is possible that we accept stopping 20% enrichment. But we need the 3.5 and 5 percent enrichment for the fuel of our nuclear power plants."

Economy

• Rouhollah Beygi, parliamentary Economics Committee deputy, says "60 to 70 percent of factories have been shut down" and the remaining companies in operation are in a state of "recession."

Photos

• Diplomasi-ye Irani: "Following the answer of 'The Resistance' to the blatant aggression of the Zionist regime against Gaza, life has changed for these combatant infidels [Kafaran-e Harbi] because of a few Iranian Fajr missiles exploding and there is a general fear in the society."