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 Analyst Will Fulton and Iran Intern Amir Toumaj, with contributors John Lesnewich and Mehrdad Moarefian. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

Politics

• In an address to a large gathering of Basij commanders, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei clarified the meaning of “heroic flexibility,” criticized the United States and Israel and discussed nuclear negotiations:
  • “Some interpreted ‘heroic flexibility’ as letting go of the system’s principles and ideals. Some enemies on this basis claimed the retreat of the Islamic system from principles while these claims are contrary to reality and are an incorrect understanding.”
  • “Heroic flexibility means an artful maneuver and utilizing various methods to achieve the various goals and ideals of the Islamic system.”
  • “These goals are in the form of stage-to-stage and piece-by-piece [advancement] and  the guides, intellectuals and officials divide these stages into pieces and then group movement begins.”
  • “Does the emphasis of the Islamic system on progress mean warmongering by the Islamic system? Does the Islamic system seek tension with all the world’s nations and governments? This is heard sometimes from the mouths of some of the Iranian nation’s enemies, including from the foul unclean mouth of the wild dog of the region, meaning the Zionist regime.... The Islamic system continuously seeks kindness and service to all humans and friendly relations with nations.”
  • “The Islamic system does not even have any hostility with the American nation, even though the American government is arrogant, hostile, malevolent and hateful toward the Iranian nation and the Islamic system.”
  • “What is at the opposing side of the Islamic system and what the Islamic system opposes is Arrogance.”
  • “The revolution of the great Iranian nation and the chosen system of this nation fundamentally took shape and grew in protest to Arrogance and its causes. Therefore, with attention to the aforementioned characteristics, Arrogance is fundamentally unable to tolerate this system, other than becoming hopeless of defeating it.”
  • “Instead of militarily threatening the Iranian nation, the American President and this country’s other officials should think about their ruined economy and their own debts. They should go and think of something so the American government is not closed for more than two weeks.”
  • “The Zionist regime is doomed to demise because this miserable regime emerged based on oppression and imposing and no imposed phenomenon is sustainable.”
  • “I have emphasized the rights of the Iranian nation, including its nuclear right, and I insist that there must not be even one step of retreat from the national rights of Iran. I will not enter into the details of negotiations, but there are red lines that must be observed. Officials also have the task of observing these red lines, and must not be afraid of the threats of the enemy.”
• National Security and Foreign Policy Parliamentary (NSFP) Commission member MP Javad Jahangirzadeh blamed Israel for yesterday’s bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut and said, “The Zionist regime and its supporters are concerned about the created changes in the region to the benefit of Islamic resistance. They also are facing certain defeat in reaching their goals in Syria, and the negotiations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with P5+1 has made the regional situation more difficult for the Zionist regime.... They seek to demonstrate their influence on the sideline of nuclear negotiations in any way possible and place these negotiations under their radii of influence…”

Regional Developments and Diplomacy

• According to various sources, the Lebanese Army announced that they may be able to identify the suicide bombers by performing DNA tests on the bodies.  The army also said the first blast was an explosive vest packed with 5kg of TNT and the second was a car bomb in a stolen Chevrolet with 50kg of TNT. 
• Lebanese Ambassador to Iran Fadi Hajj Ali visited Parliament to provide explanations for the terrorist attack on the Iranian Embassy in Beirut yesterday that killed 23, including Iranian Cultural Attaché Ebrahim Ansari, and wounded 147 others. Ali added that after the first explosion, embassy guards forced the premature explosion of the vehicle before it entered the embassy, minimizing the amount of damage it sustained. 
• Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian arrived in Lebanon this morning and is expected to investigate the conditions and developments following the embassy bombing incident and meet with Lebanese officials. 
• During the talks,  Zarif met with EU Foreign Affairs Representative Catherine Ashton to discuss negotiations.

Military and Security

• IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari spoke before the Supreme Leader this morning to a large crowd of Basij members, and commented on the West’s “multi-dimensional campaign that has begun against the Revolution”:
  • “The power of the internal structure of the [Islamic] system requires widespread mobilization of the people to be present in many fields. The Revolution and the system require it.”
  • “The enemy mobilizes all of its brigades of force and deception in thousands of mediums against [Iran], but we will not retreat from the path of the velayat.” 
• Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei ordered the beginning of the second stage of the “Ala Beit ol-Moghaddas” exercises to be carried out by the IRGC and Basij throughout nine reg89hs. The first stage was held last year. 
• IRGC Ground Force Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour pledged IRGC commitment to confronting terrorists groups inside Iran who are “supported, trained and equipped by security services of intra-regional and regional countries.” 
• IRGC Mohammad Rasoulollah unit (Greater Tehran) Commander Mohsen Kazemeini  called on the youth to reinforce the ideals of the nation and elevate the country:
  • “This holy institution is a complete expression of anti-Arrogance [anti-Westernism], stability, resistance, insight, organization, faith, will, zeal, and affection based logically on belief and conquering all advanced spiritual and material peaks.”
  • “We are undoubtedly in a battle from all sides politically, economically, and culturally with Global Arrogance in a soft war. Once again, as during the glorious period of Sacred Defense [Iran-Iraq War], we have higher orders from Imam Khamenei…. The bright and hopeful future of the country and regime is tied to you [the youth].”
• Basij Organization Public Relations Department issued a statement warning that yesterday’s attack on the Iranian embassy may be the start of a scenario in which Western-backed terrorists seek to create insecurity in the region:
  • “Yesterday, a poisonous arrow from the bow of international Zionism was launched by foreign takfiris. Beirut, the broken heart of global Islam, was targeted and a number of good people of the nation and foreign citizens of Lebanon were buried and bloodied. The people who committed this crime were mercenaries paid by the West who gave up their souls to strike at the Axis of Resistance and the principles of Islam, showing that they have been brainwashed and fooled by Israeli and American intelligence officials.”
  • “It seems that the suicide operations in Beirut at the Iranian embassy in Lebanon, which occurred with the goal of creating insecurity, is the start of a scenario in which terrorist groups supervised by Western leaders have the goal of creating insecurity in Iranian embassies in the region and other points throughout the world and of creating terror and fear among Iranian officials. They are seeking to open a file that influences Iran within regional nations and strikes global freedom-seeking from one side, and on the other side pressures the Foreign Minister, who is right now negotiating with Western officials about both the nuclear rights of the people of Iran and a solution to the Syrian crisis.” 

Nuclear Issue

• The latest round of Iran and P5+1 negotiations have ended in Geneva. Some of the statements emerging from both sides expressed optimism that a deal is possible. US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the NPT does not guarantee the right to enrichment.
  • In a press conference after the meetings, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that Iran will continue to hold separate bilateral meetings with P5+1 members and that he will hold a meeting tomorrow morning with EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton "that this meeting is, in reality, the beginning of negotiations in which we will review how we can finalize a text." He added that results of these talks depend upon the extent to which "we can reach understanding about the various issues" at large.
  • Senior negotiator Abbas Ali Eraghchi stated earlier, "It is planned to discuss the trend of negotiations in bilateral negotiations and dialogues. If we reach a good result, negotiations will begin tomorrow regarding contentl... The trust that was lost int he previous meeting to a great extent must be revived..." 
• President Hassan Rouhani held separate telephone conversations with leaders of P5+1 countries and emphasized “perseverance on the nation’s nuclear rights” and urged avoiding “excessive demands” that can derail the “path of win-win agreement.” 
• MPs issued statements supporting the nuclear negotiations team and warning it of Israeli disruptions. They said that “Iran knows the best path for resolving the nuclear issue” and has “cooperated with the NPT and IAEA.” They also cautioned that “each time negotiations have been close to succeeding,  Israel and other powers have suddenly disrupted negotiations and the negotiations have failed.”
  • They added that if current negotiations reach “a process of attrition or time-wasting, Parliament will make a decision based on the requirements of the nation of Iran and review any type of cooperation with the agency.”
  • “With trust in our nuclear negotiators, especially the Foreign Minister, Parliament is observing the negotiations process and emphasizing it will stand strongly upon the complete nuclear rights of the nation of Iran.” 

Economy

• Vice-Chairman of the Parliament Hojjat al-Eslam Mohammad Hassan Abu Torabi Fard addressed the Pathology of Monetary Institutions in Islamic Economy Gathering and said, “Reforming and identifying the issues of the country’s monetary and economic institution will be the greatest aid to [achieving a stable economy].” 
• NSFP Parliamentary Commission member MP Esmail Jalili stated, “Point-by-point inflation in the past three months has fallen from 40% to 36% based on the Central Bank report and the expectation of inflation has ceased in society and mendacious requests have also been practically reduced.” 

Photo of the Day

• Basij Organization Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Ali Fazli addresses the Supreme Leader and other military officials before Khamenei’s speech in Tehran today.