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 Analysts Marie Donovan, Paul Bucala, and Caitlin Shayda Pendleton. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Excerpts of these translations may only be used with the expressed consent of the authors.

Key takeaway: The deputy commander of the IRGC warned that Iran will send the nuclear agreement “to the museum” if the U.S. does not fully implement its commitments.

IRGC Deputy Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami stated that Iran “stands by its commitments” under the nuclear deal but added that Iran’s patience “is not endless” at a rally marking the 37th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Salami pledged that Iran will withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and that its nuclear activities will surpass pre-deal levels if the U.S. does not implement its commitments under the deal. Other senior officials have similarly criticized the alleged lack of sanctions relief from the U.S. while also emphasizing that Iran will not be the first to violate the agreement. 

AEI Must-Reads

• Paul Bucala analyzes a recent speech by former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi in “Supreme Leader's Adviser Discloses Details on Iranian Efforts Abroad.”
   
• The Critical Threats Project and ISW Naval Analyst Christopher Harmer assess Iran’s role in the recent anti-shipping attacks off the Yemeni coast in “Iranian involvement in missile attacks on the USS Mason.”

Regional Developments & Diplomacy

• IRGC deputy commander: Iran will send nuclear deal “to the museum” if U.S. does not fulfill commitments. IRGC Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami vowed that Iran will withdraw from the nuclear deal if the U.S. does not abide by its commitments under the accord. He stated, “America should know that if it does not act upon its own commitments under the JCPOA, we will send this agreement to the museum and return to the first stage.” He stated that Iran “always stands by its commitments” but added, “The patience of the Iranian nation is not endless… If America does not fully implement its commitments under the JCPOA, inactive centrifuges will be operationalized once again, but we will not stop at pre-JCPOA levels.” (Donya-e-Eqtesad)
   
• Iranians mark anniversary of hostage crisis. “Hundreds of thousands” of Iranians held rallies to commemorate Student Day and the National Day Against the Global Arrogance on November 3, according to Tasnim News Agency, an IRGC-linked news outlet. Tasnim reported that protesters gathered to “express their opposition to the arrogant policies and attitudes of the enemies, particularly the U.S.” The rally in Tehran was held outside the former U.S. Embassy and marked the 37th anniversary of the hostage crisis. Students seized the embassy in November 1979 and took a group of Americans hostage for 444 days after the U.S. refused to return the exiled U.S.-backed king to Iran for trial.
  • Outspoken moderate-conservative Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Motahari blamed “America’s actions against the Islamic Revolution” for the hostage crisis in an Instagram post on November 3, but he also criticized the length of the hostage crisis for portraying Iran with “an ISIS-like face.” He stated that prolonging the crisis “was not in the interest of the revolution or the people of Iran.” (Tasnim News Agency) (E) (ANA)

Domestic Politics

• Guardian Council spokesman defends vetting process after criticism from Rafsanjani.Guardian Council Spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodaei defended the council’s vetting process for electoral candidates as “independent” despite consultations with “experts from various sectors” November 3. His remarks are a response to Expediency Discernment Council Chairman Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani claimed on November 2 that Heydar Moslehi, the intelligence minister under former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, arranged the council’s disqualification of Rafsanjani in the 2013 presidential elections. Moslehi had accused Rafsanjani of participating in protests after the disputed 2009 presidential elections. Presidential candidates must pass the conservative-dominated Guardian Council’s vetting process before they can run. (Khabar Online) (YJC)
   
• New minister says Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry must be managed “professionally.” Reza Salehi Amiri, the newly appointed minister for the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, discussed his appointment and the ministry’s duties during an interview on state television. Salehi Amiri stated that “the ministry’s first issue is that it must be managed in way that is completely professional. Intervention by outside forces in the ministry must be investigated.” Hardliners harshly criticized Salehi Amiri’s predecessor, Ali Jannati, after a Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry’s provincial office allowed a controversial concert in the city of Qom. Salehi Amiri also noted that his appointment shows that “Parliament plans to help the Rouhani administration achieve its goals.” (IRIB)