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

• Fada'iyan-e Islam Association warns to treat the "current of deviation" - a reference to Ahmadinejad supporters - in the same way it treated Ahmad Kasravi, a secular Iranian scholar, who was assassinated by Fada'iyan-e Islam in 1946.
• Employees at Iran fight with the police when they try to arrest Ali-Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's media adviser.
  • Javanfekr writes that he was not arrested, but the police arrested a number of his colleagues assembled at the newspaper office to defend him.
  • Tehran Governor General Morteza Tammadon says arrested Iran employees will be released from prison soon.
  • Alef News releases the names of arrested Iran employees.
  • Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, Tehran Revolutionary Tribunal prosecutor general, warns the press against "disturbing the calm atmosphere of the country."
  • According to Asr-e Iran, 30 Iran employees have been released, but 10 remain in police custody.
• Rafsanjani addressing student activists warns against "evil schemes of the enemies" and urges the authorities to form a government of national reconciliation.

Diplomacy

• Farda News slams AEI resident fellow Ali Alfoneh as a "part of the anti-Iranian jigsaw puzzle."
• [E] Iran underlined its opposition to the strategic pact between Kabul and Washington, and called on the Afghan people not to allow foreign forces to remain in their homeland any longer.

Military and Security

• Revolutionary Guards Air and Space Commander Amir-Ali Hajizadeh comments on rumors of Israeli strikes against Iran: "It is our great hope that they will do so. For a long time there has been an energy potential which we are interested in spending so we can send the enemies of Islam and Muslims forever to the dustbin of history."
• Air Defense Force Commander Farzad Esmaili visiting the Thamen al-Hojaj war game zone: "We will make Iran's [air] territory hell for anyone who wants to attack [Iran]..."
• Basij Commander Mohammad-Reza Naqdi addressing "60,000 Basij members" in West Azerbaijan province: "No one is afraid of the economically bankrupt United States anymore."
• Ali-Ashraf Nouri replaces Yadollah Javani as Revolutionary Guards Political Directorate commander.

Photo of the Day

• Ali-Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's media adviser, prior to his arrest.