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 in North Khorasan province:
  • "One of the battlefields against the enemies is the international arena... the Zionists dominate the Western media to the degree that even Western politicians are influenced by what is written by them, which is an important point... Such media stresses that the pressure against Iran serves the purpose of forcing the Islamic Republic to return to the negotiation table. But when did we leave the negotiation table... so that we should return now...? Their goal is capitulation of the Iranian nation at the negotiation table, and we tell them: You are so small that you can't force the combatant, knowledgeable and informed Iranian nation to its knees in the face of your demands... European authorities still live in the nineteenth century era of imperialist bully. But they should know that the Iranian nation and authorities are not capitulating in the face of their bullying and will continue to create trouble for them..."

• Commenting on the Nobel's Peace Prize to the European Union, Jomhouri-ye Eslami slams "peace prize for the warmongers."

• Rafsanjani receiving the Ambassador of Japan says Iran-Japan relations should not be affected by "the demands of bullying powers."

Military and Security

• Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi says his ministry is "monitoring the smallest movements of the counter revolution."

• Former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian starts running a personal website.

• Mohsen Kazemeini, Greater Tehran Mohammad-Rasoulallah Revolutionary Guards unit commander, says disruption in the United States information system is not because of attacks of the Guards cyber warfare unit.
  • Kazemeini also discussed the Basij war game in Tehran, in particular the rapid reaction forces of the Basij, which are being trained to secure the 2013 presidential election.

• [E] Iran is working on manufacturing long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the near future, a senior Iranian aviation industry official announced on Wednesday. 

Economy

• Mehdi Ghazanfari, Industry, Mines and Commerce minister, says the government has accepted requests for $1 billion foreign currency at fixed state price in order to help the industrial sector's need for foreign currency.

Trade

• Reactions to the latest round of European Union sanctions against the Islamic Republic:
  • Fatemeh Bodaghi, presidential adviser, announces that the Islamic Republic will take "legal action" against the latest round of European Union sanctions against Iran's oil exports on the grounds that they "violate human rights." Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast commenting on the EU sanctions said: "We think a calculation mistake has taken place which is distancing these countries from results desired by them. We recommend they display a rational behavior and pursue negotiations rather than stubbornly move in a direction which only strengthens the cohesion of the Iranian nation. They don't know the spirit of the Iranian nation. These acts are wrong and will not bring them any results. These pressures are irrational..."  

  • Baha al-Din Hosseini Hashemi, financial and banking affairs expert: "When the sanctions are executed, it is only natural that Asian and Far Eastern banks, regional banks, exchange bureaus and monetary and financial institutions which have not had any role in Iran until now, will find [the sanctions] an opportunity for profit. They will take steps to engage with Iran and have in practice replaced European banks... [Apart from this,] Merchants from these countries [imposing sanctions] are looking for new ways to continue trading with Iran... In general, the conditions of sanctions are not so that a country with sufficient funds is incapable of purchasing or continue trade relations. Four to five European countries may coordinate their policies according to the United States and increase sanctions, but their merchants are trying to find ways to continue trade with Iran..."

  • According to Mehr News, Norwegian Statoil Hydro is trying to get exempted from natural gas import sanctions of the European Union against the Islamic Republic. Switzerland on the other hand will no longer be able to import natural gas from Iran.
    • Jomhouri-ye Eslami calls the Norwegian move "an immediate retreat."

  • Deputy Oil Minister Alireza Zighami says the Oil Ministry will establish "mini energy markets" in Iran's border areas in order to sell oil products to those living in Iran's periphery regions in an attempt to attract foreign buyers, and fight gasoline smuggling to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey.  

  • Kayhan's editorial slams the EU sanctions as an attempt to disrupt the 2013 presidential election.

Photo of the Day

• Cabinet ministers convene in Bojnourd to report to Khamenei.