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 and contributors Shayan Enferadi, Hirad Yaldaei, and Ali Javaheri. 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: Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Shamkhani vowed that a “forceful confrontation” will determine “Aleppo’s fate” as the Syrian regime launched a ground offensive in the eastern part of the city.

Shamkhani stated that the fate of the besieged city of Aleppo and “other Syrian battlefields” will “only be determined through a forceful confrontation with the takfiris.” Shamkhani also dismissed the possibility of an international political settlement in Syria, stating, “The only solution to ending the violence in Syria is strengthening negotiations among the Syrian people in order to arrive at an agreement.” President Hassan Rouhani, meanwhile, pledged the continuation of Iranian support to the Syrian government during a meeting with Syrian Parliament Speaker Hadiya Khalaf Abbas in Tehran. Pro-regime forces supported by Russian air-cover and Iranian advisors launched a new ground offensive on rebel-held positions in eastern Aleppo on September 27, more than a week after the breakdown of the Russia-U.S. brokered ceasefire.

Former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote that he has “no plans” to run in the upcoming presidential elections in a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei publicly stated on September 26 that he had advised Ahmadinejad not to seek a third term in the May 2017 elections to avoid “polarizing” the country.

AEI Must-Reads

• Paul Bucala and Shayan Enferadi analyze the implications of recent instability in Iranian Kurdistan in “Iran’s Kurdish Insurgency.”
   
• The Critical Threats Project team explains the significance of Iran’s upcoming 2017 presidential election and tracks important electoral developments in “Iran Presidential Election Tracker: Updates and Analysis.”
   
• J. Matthew McInnis argues that Iran has likely recognized its limit in managing Iraq’s fractious political sphere in “Big questions in Iran’s great Iraq game.”

Regional Developments & Diplomacy

• SNSC secretary: Aleppo’s fate will be determined through a “forceful confrontation.”Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Shamkhani claimed that the fate of Aleppo and “other Syrian battlefields” will “only be determined through a forceful confrontation with the takfiris” during a meeting with Syrian Parliament Speaker Hadiya Khalaf Abbas in Tehran on September 27. Shamkhani added, “The only solution to ending the violence in Syria is strengthening negotiations among the Syrian people in order to arrive at an agreement.” According to Iranian news outlets, Shamkhani is the “chief official responsible for coordinating Iran’s political, military, and security efforts with Syria and Russia.” (Tasnim News Agency)

• Senior officials reiterate support for Syrian government. President Hassan Rouhani emphasized the need to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and pledged to continue Iranian support to the Syrian government during a separate meeting with Abbas in Tehran on September 27. Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati also voiced “strong support” for Syria’s “legitimate government” in a meeting with Abbas on September 26. (Tasnim News Agency) (ABNA) (E)  

Domestic Politics

• Ahmadinejad: I do not plan on participating in next year’s election. Former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote that he will not run in the upcoming presidential elections in a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on September 27. Ahmadinejad wrote, “Keeping with the will of the leader of the great revolution, I have no plans to be present in the presidential competitions next year.” Khamenei recently stated that he advised Ahmadinejad not to run in the elections. (Fars News Agency)

Military & Security

• “Terrorist” cell disbanded in Kurdistan. Iranian security forces announced the arrests of an unspecified number of members of a “terrorist” group in Kurdistan province. The group reportedly “sought to start terrorist operations” with the support of two Iranian nationals. Security officials added that the individuals were “dispatched” by a group “whose main base is in northern Iraq.” Multiple Iranian Kurdish separatist groups are reported to operate from bases in northern Iraq. For more on Iranian security operations in Iranian Kurdistan, please see “Iran’s Kurdish Insurgency.” (Fars News Agency) (E) 
   
• AFGS deputy: The enemy is trying to create “domestic proxy wars” in Iran. IRGC Maj. Gen. Mostafa Izadi warned that Iran’s enemies are attempting to “create proxy wars” and “soft war” within Iran in order to “compromise our national unity,” “undermine the public confidence,” and “throw the gains of the revolution into question.” The Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) deputy stated, “We must take care of the revolution… and prevent domestic proxy wars through unity and insight.” (Tasnim News Agency)
   
• IRGC Air Force commander: New missile will be operationalized by the end of the year.IRGC Air Force Commander Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh announced that the IRGC Air Force will deploy the Zulfiqar ballistic missile before the end of the current Persian year (March 2017). According to military officials, the Zulfiqar missile is a variant of the Fateh 110 missile and is capable of carrying a multiple reentry vehicle (MRV). It also possesses “pinpoint accuracy” and boasts a range of 750 kilometers. Hajizadeh also stated that Iran has no need for missiles with ranges greater than 2000 kilometers because “our target is Israel.” (Fars News Agency)

Economy

• Rouhani touts single-digit inflation. President Hassan Rouhani defended his administration’s economic performance during remarks on September 26. Rouhani stated, “At the start of my administration, we had an annual inflation rate of more than 40 percent. Today we have reached around 8.5 percent… My administration’s plan was to reach single-digit inflation, and today we have reached single-digit inflation. We are striving to preserve that.” The Central Bank of Iran also announced on September 26 that the inflation rate has fallen to 8.8 percent in the past 12-month period. Rouhani’s economic performance will be a critical component of his re-election campaign. (Fars News Agency) (Tabnak)
   
• Economy and finance minister: Iran should comply with the FATF with conditions. Ali Tayyebnia argued that compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) regulations is in Iran’s interest during remarks before Parliament on September 27. He stated, “Iran was placed unjustly on the blacklist alongside North Korea. It has created financial restrictions for banks and financial institutions.” Tayyebnia also outlined three conditions for Iran to implement the FATF’s regulations. He stated, “We will not allow any intelligence sharing. We will not accept any definitions or examples of terrorist groups from any authority except the UN Security Council. And we will not recognize unjust and unfair sanctions imposed by international authorities on [entities on] Iranian soil in any way.”
  • Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani also defended the Rouhani administration’s implementation of the proposed FATF regulations. He noted, “When we accept 37 paragraphs of the [total] 41 paragraphs [of the agreement], we should not question the entire agreement.” (Fars News Agency)(ISNA) (Donya-e-Eqtesad)
     
• Foreign Ministry: Iran only purchases Western aircraft under certain conditions. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi criticized “Western countries” for their “failure to live up to [their] commitments and the delay of about a year” in exporting planes to Iran. Ghassemi stated that Iran “will never accept any conditions set by the sellers if they contravene Iran’s sovereignty and independence.” (Tasnim News Agency)