Iran News Round Up
The Iran News Round Up ran from February 2009-September 2018. Visit the Iran File for the latest analysis.
Key takeaway: Iranian officials are debating Iran’s participation in the nuclear deal in the event of U.S. unilateral withdrawal.
High Council of Human Rights Secretary Mohammad Javad Larijani stated that the nuclear deal would become “meaningless” if the U.S. unilaterally withdraws. Hardline newspaper Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari also stated that Iran will endanger its national interests if it upholds the deal despite U.S. unilateral withdrawal. Shariatmadari also claimed that European adherence to the deal in the event of a U.S. withdrawal would be “like a joke” because “the main sanctions” originate with the U.S.
Larijani and Shariatmadari’s comments contradict recent statements by Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Head Ali Akbar Salehi. Salehi has stated that Iran’s commitment to the nuclear deal depends on the EU’s withdrawal, not the U.S.’s withdrawal. Their opposing comments indicate that senior regime figures are working to shape an ongoing debate regarding Iran’s involvement in the deal in the event of a U.S. withdrawal.
Hardliners, such as Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Ali Movahedi Kermani, have claimed frequently that the “Americans” will not be permitted to inspect Iranian military sites. Many regime figures likely recognize that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) permits the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) – not a particular member of the P5+1 - to request access to certain military sites. The hardliners’ public misrepresentation of the issue of site visits may reflect a fear of American influence and pressure upon the IAEA. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley recently pressed the IAEA regarding these site visits. Hardliners also may have misrepresented the issue of site visits in order to create a stronger rhetorical stance for domestic Iranian audiences.
This Iran News Round Up predominantly covers events from September 8-11.
Mohammad Larijani: Nuclear deal without the U.S. is “meaningless.”
High Council of Human Rights Secretary Mohammad Javad Larijani said that the nuclear deal without the U.S. is “meaningless.” Larijani claimed that the July 2017 U.S. sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program were a political ploy by the U.S. Larijani recommended that European countries “lobby” the U.S. if they are worried about the nuclear deal’s dissolution. (Mashregh News)
Salehi: Nuclear deal’s dissolution could benefit Iran politically.
Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) and former senior nuclear negotiator Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated his comments regarding the nuclear deal in an interview with the German news outlet Der Spiegel. Salehi stated that Iran would “most probably stick with the commitments to the [nuclear deal]” if the U.S. were the only country to leave the nuclear deal. Salehi also stated that if the deal were to collapse then Iran “would face some difficulties” economically but they would gain politically by not being the party that broke the nuclear deal. (Der Spiegel) (Mehr News Agency)
Shariatmadari criticizes Rouhani government’s approach to JCPOA.
Editor-in-Chief of the hardline newspaper Kayhan Hossein Shariatmadari criticized comments by former nuclear negotiator Ali Akbar Salehi. Salehi had stated that Iran will most likely remain in the nuclear deal in the event of unilateral U.S. withdrawal in interviews with Iranian state-owned Arabic-language news outlet al Alam and Germany’s Der Spiegel. Shariatmadari said that Iran will endanger its national interests if it remains part of the deal despite U.S. unilateral withdrawal. He noted that European commitment to the nuclear deal in spite of a U.S. withdrawal is “like a joke” because the “main sanctions are from the U.S.” (Mashregh News)
Friday prayer leader: U.S. is not permitted to inspect military sites.
Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani stated that the U.S. does not have permission to inspect Iran’s military sites. Kermani also remarked that the U.S. “can take the wish [of inspecting Iranian military sites] to [its] grave.” (Defa Press) (ISNA)
Citations & Links
1.
Mashregh News
https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/772657/%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%B6%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2-%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7
Citations & Links
Citations & Links
1.
Mashregh News
https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/773102/%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%B4%DA%A9%D9%85-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%84%DA%AF%D8%AF-%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7-%D9%86%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%81%D9%87-%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87
Citations & Links
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Defa Press
http://defapress.ir/fa/news/256374/%D8%AF%D8%B4%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%B1%DA%86%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B4-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A2%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B6%D9%88%D8%B9-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%AA-%D8%A2%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA
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ISNA
http://www.isna.ir/news/96061709946/%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%B2-%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87-%DA%AF%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF
Friday Prayer leaders condemn violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani and Qazvin Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Abdulkarim Abedini spoke out against the silence on the ongoing crimes against Burmese Muslims. (Defa Press) (Mashregh News Agency) (Fars News Agency)
Citations & Links
1.
Defa Press
http://defapress.ir/fa/news/256374/%D8%AF%D8%B4%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%B1%DA%86%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B4-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A2%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B6%D9%88%D8%B9-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%AA-%D8%A2%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA
2.
Mashregh News Agency
https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/772019/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%A6%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%81-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84-%DA%A9%D9%86%D9%86%D8%AF-%D9%87%DB%8C%DA%86-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF
3.
Fars News Agency
http://qazvin.farsnews.com/news/13960619000090
IRGC and Artesh navies seek to increase coordination.
IRGC Navy Commander RADM Ali Fadavi and Artesh Commander Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahim Mousavi held a meeting on September 11. The two commanders discussed strengthening cooperation and coordination between the Artesh and IRGC navies. Mousavi met with AFGS Chief IRGC Maj. Gen Mohammad Bagheri on September 7. Senior AFGS and IRGC officials have indicated recently that the IRGC and the Artesh will deepen their coordination and cooperation significantly. (Mehr News Agency) (Sepah News)
Citations & Links
1.
Mehr News Agency
http://www.mehrnews.com/news/4083626/%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B2%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D9%88-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86
2.
Sepah News
http://sepahnews.com/index.php/component/k2/item/4338-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%81%D8%AF%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%9B%D8%AA%D8%A7%DA%A9%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D9%87%D9%85%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B2%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D9%88-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C.html
