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 Analyst Mehrdad Moarefian and Iran Intern Amir Toumaj, with contributors Chris Rawlins, Diana Timmerman, and Marie Donovan. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

 (E) = Article in English

Official Statements

• Arab and African Affairs Deputy to the Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian denounced the US-led coalition against ISIS and its policies on terrorism. Abdollahian said:
  • “The new American policy on ISIS is deceptive… We never trust America to lead a fight against terrorism.”
  • “They want to play with ISIS in Iraq and create opportunities for them in Syria.”
  • “Arming moderate militants in Syria is a strategic mistake; it is indeed a double standard and considered as the escalation of insecurity, and increases terrorism.” (Fars News Agency)

• Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini spoke about ISIS and compared the terrorist group to the Taliban. He claimed the United States created ISIS out of “Islamophobia” and out of the interests of the Zionist regime.   
  • “ISIS is the second version of the Taliban and was a seed planted by the United States in their plans to draw a new Middle East.”
  • “The ‘ISIS scenario’ is just like a book, just read the last chapter in American history. ISIS is the second version of the Taliban which was a seed planted as part of an American plan to serve their own interests in the Middle East, and when it came time to harvest, the plant was harvested and the branches were cut off.”
  • “In this plan the primary purpose was to topple the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, and secondly to create Islamophobia and make Islam seem more dangerous than Zionism.”            (Fars News Agency)

• President Hassan Rouhani met with an NBC correspondent in Tehran. Rouhani said “The West has failed in the fight against terrorists, killing innocents is a shame and concern.”
  • NBC correspondent asked Rouhani what he hopes to accomplish this year. Rouhani answered, “I think that as was said at the UN last year, we can see with greater clarity what is happening in the region as well as the rest of the world”. “I am extremely happy that the new government in Iran with the help of the people has been able to restore peace of mind”. “I am hopeful that the world leaders present at this year’s Assembly at the UN will be able to find suitable solutions to the world’s problems including problems related to the security and stability of the world. They should act immediately.”
  • “In our opinion a citizen of Iran, Iraq, Syria, or Palestine being attacked by terrorists, would be like one citizen of Iran is being under attack”. “We have to look at all humans as fellowmen who have the right to life. There is no difference between the human rights of one nation or another”.      (Mehr News)

• IRGC Fajr Unit (Fars Province) Commander Brig. Gen. Gholam Hossein Qeib Parvar claimed that Reformists have "plans" for the upcoming Assembly of Experts and Parliament elections in March 2016. He called the 2009 post-election protests more intense than the Iran-Iraq war and claimed that "we are presently surpassing the situation prior to the Arrival [of 12th Shi'a Imam Mahdi]."  (Basij News)

• Head of the Headquarters for the Reconstructions of Holy Shrines Hossein Pelarak announced that the organization is in need of 400 million tomans [$150 million] to finish the Hazrat-e Zahra Shrine project in Najaf, having already spent 200 million tomans [$75 million]. Pelarak said "We predict that if we can finish the project if every Iranian gives a thousand tomans." (Tasnim News Agency)

Military and Security

• Artesh Ground Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced that two newly developed military tactical weapons will be unveiled soon. Pourdastan said:
  • “An infantry fighting vehicle equipped with a cannon and a 23-mm sniper rifle are two of the latest Army innovations set to be unveiled soon.” (IRNA)

• Head of the Basij Organization Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naghdi discussed Iranian tribes’ place in the army: 
  • “The tribes of Iran will be at the forefront of the Quds [Jerusalem] Liberation Army.”
  • “Martyrs of Iran’s largest tribes will bring honor and glory through their testimony…. Every corner of Iran is preserved by the testimony of the tribes.”
  • Following last week’s stand of the tribes of Sistan and Baluchistan, the latest martyr Yar Mohammad Darzadeh at the Saravan border outpost was martyred by cursed terrorists defending the borders of the country.”
  • On the “Zionist aggression… during the last few years”: “The faith and unity of the Iranian nomadic warriors and fighters, shown to the world, led to the humiliating defeat of the world’s fourth largest military power.”  (Defa Press)

• Commander of IRGC Beit al Moghaddas unit (Kurdistan) Mohammad Hossein Rajabi addressed rumors of terrorists groups in Kurdistan: 
  • “A media atmosphere creating fear and panic are used in areas where people are afraid of terrorist acts by takfiri groups; however, because the Iranian people and the Kurdish people are not afraid of them, and feel the sustainable security in the province and the country, the acts of terror contended by the media in Kurdistan and Iran will not occur.” 
  • “The takfiri groups are created by the powers of and headed by America, which uses the groups to prevent people tending towards Islam.”
  • “… We, as real soldiers and leaders, will deal with certainty anyone who wants to upset the security of Kurdistan.”
  • “Currently, more than 95 percent of the IRGC forces in Kurdistan in structural terms are native to the province.” (Fars News Agency) 

• Citing an unnamed source, Press TV claimed that the purported Israeli drone downed by IRGC originated from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, with the tacit involvement of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (Press TV)

Regional Developments and Diplomacy

• Iraqi President Fuad Masum criticized the international conference on Peace and Security in Iraq held in Paris for not inviting Iran:
  • “Iran’s participation in the conference was necessary. [I] told the French officials that Iran’s presence in the coalition against terrorism in the region was necessary.”
  • “The Islamic Republic of Iran helped Iraq from the very first day ISIS launched an attack on Iraq’s Kurdistan region.”
  • “Iraq was not the host of the conference, so this was not our decision to make; however, we did not agree with Iran’s exclusion.” (Mehr News)

• Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani congratulated President of Chile on Chile’s independence anniversary, the independence of Nicaragua as well as the selection of the new president of the European Council.
  • In separate messages, Rouhani congratulated Pres. Michelle Bachelet and the people of Chile on their independence. He writes “In light of mutual cooperation, the increasing development of relations between the two countries in different fields will be seen.”
  • Rouhani also congratulates Pres. Daniel Ortega and the people of Nicaragua on their independence. The message expresses hope for mutual efforts between the two authorities: “Deepening friendship, promotion and development of ties in all spheres of international cooperation between our two countries.”
  • In the president’s message to “Donald Tusk”, the new president of the EU council, Rouhani writes, “I am hopeful that in the presence of important regional and international issues there will be the enormous potential for cooperation and interaction, including the development of mutual relations during your time.” (Fars News Agency)

• Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about ISIS, the root causes of the problems in the Middle East and about the Paris conference held to develop a plan to counter ISIS:
  • “ISIS is not a government and it is not Islamic, but rather a complex terrorist organization.”
  • “The summit in Paris is a ‘coalition of repenters’... Iran was not invited to this summit and I call this coalition against ISIS a coalition of repenters because the countries sitting at the table in this summit also had a hand in forming ISIS.”
  • “The root cause of today’s problems in the world and the Middle East is the use of outdated paradigms; in this new world we cannot achieve security by creating insecurity for others, and we cannot buy prosperity by impoverishing other nations.” (Fars News Agency)

• At the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about ISIS and the coalition formed in Paris to combat the terrorist group:
  •  “ISIS is the product of foreign invasion of the Middle East. ISIS is not limited to a particular country or region and cannot be defeated through airstrikes”
  •  “Countries that have joined a coalition against ISIS in Paris have also supported ISIS in the past.”
  • “This group (ISIS) does not merely present a threat to the region. This group is not limited to Iraq and Syria but is a worldwide threat. Thousands of foreign fighters are in Iraq and Syria that are from all countries from around the world.” (Tasnim News Agency)

• An editorial on conservative Alef website criticized the recent meeting between President Hassan Rouhani and Republic of Azerbaijan Minister of Economy Shahin Mostafayef, following explicit allegation from Iranian state media that Baku collaborated with Tel Aviv to conduct espionage against Iranian nuclear sites. (Alef)

• The brother of imprisoned prominent Saudi Shi’a dissident Sheikh Nimr Bagher al-Nimr, Mohammad al-Nimr, announced that Saudi authorities have postponed his trial to October 15. (Ahlul Bayt News Agency)

Economy

• India’s oil imports from Iran grew by 50 percent during the month of August, rising to 271 thousand barrels per day. The growth is purportedly due to contracts with the Indian Oil Corporation.    (Fars News Agency)