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

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses Basij members:
  • "The plan to question the president [at parliament] has until now been positive, which shows both the sense of responsibility of the parliament and the readiness of the government authorities to answer, but continuing it is something which the enemy desires... We ask the honorable representatives not to continue this [demanding a questioning session] from now on..."
  • Following Supreme Leader's statement, parliamentarians demanding Ahmadinejad's presence at a questioning session withdrew their demand.
• The Expediency Council is about to investigate a parliamentary bill which aims at reducing the government's control over the National Development Fund.
• Jomhouri-ye Eslami warns against use of the Moharram mourning ceremonies for political purposes.

Military and Security

• Asr-e Iran's analyst concludes that even if the Bashar regime survives the current military challenge from the opposition, it would not survive economic challenges the regime is encountering.
• Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad-Ali Aziz Jafari: "We have not sent weapons to Gaza, but we proudly declare that we have provided them with the technology to build the Fajr V missile, which they have mass produced and is now at their disposal."
  • Hossein Salami, Revolutionary Guards deputy, also stresses that the missiles used by Hamas are produced in "Palestine."
  • Khaled Mashal, Hamas leader, thanks the Islamic Republic for supporting "the resistance with arms."
  • Ramezan Abdullah, Islamic Jihad secretary general: "Iran is the main source of weaponry which the Palestinians today use in order to counter Israeli aggression and hostility. The entire world knows this and this is not a secret issue."
  • Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani: "We proudly say that our support to Palestine had both economic and military dimensions..."
  • [E] A senior Iranian military commander said that Israel's surrender to the ceasefire conditions announced by the Palestinian Resistance after 8 days of air and ground assaults on the Gaza Strip was a great defeat and humiliation for Israel.
• [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in a meeting in Ankara cautioned the Turkish prime minister against the plan for deploying Patriot missiles along the border with Syria as well as Turkey's support for Syrian rebels, a senior Iranian lawmaker who accompanied Larijani in the visit announced on Monday.

Nuclear Issue

• Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says the Islamic Republic is "ready to reach a complete understanding [with the 5+1 Group], an understanding which realizes Iran's rights and removes mutual concerns."
  • Analyst Mehdi Mottahar-Nia says "one should not expect astonishing results from the negotiations."
  • Analyst Pirouz Mojtahedzadeh says Iran has "managed to bypass Israel in the negotiations [with the 5+1 Group]," and expresses general optimism concerning the outcome of the negotiations.

Trade

• Oil Minister Rostam Qassem complains about increased diesel smuggling out of Iran, but the Law Enforcement dismisses the report.

Photos of the Day

• Iranian parliament’s “open session”.