Iran News Round Up

  Politics

• Assembly of Experts warns "seditionists of the past [the reform movement] and seditionists of today [Ahmadinejad]" against questioning "the slogans of the revolution," and "sacred matters of religion, especially in the field of hijab," and adds: "If they don't follow the roaring wave of the nation, they will be drowned and they should know that any seditionist move creating obstacles specially up to the [parliamentary] election will be dealt with..."
• Farda News questions Sadeq Mahsouli, Hamid Rasaei and Gholam-Hossein Elham's commitments to the fight against "the current of deviation," since "throughout six years they have demonstrated their loyalty to the [Ahmadinejad] cabinet despite the presence of a current of deviation."
• According to Farda News, Rafsanjani's network headed by Isa Kalantari and Eshaq Jahangiri is mobilizing for the parliamentary election.
• Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani criticizes "certain executive offices" which "create obstacles in the path of the fight against economic corruption."

Diolomacy

• Exiled Bahraini Shi'i revolutionary Qassem al-Hashemi "reports" to the Supreme Leader about "the holy struggle of the Bahrainis."
  • Al-Hashemi says "Bahrain is the front line of the United States."
• Farda News calls Turkey expulsion of the Israeli ambassador "the latest theater of the Turks."

Military and Security

• Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi attacks Ahmadinejad: "There are some currents that try to depict the guardian jurist as not having the final say and distinguish the decrees of the Leader as governmental and non-governmental ones... From the viewpoint of such currents, seizing the presidential office and the parliament is the only way of changing the regime, this is why they are trying to attract the people..."
• Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says Iran's complaints against Russia are because of delays to the S-300 missile system delivery.

Economy

• Ahmadinejad: "The cash handout could be tripled."
• Shafaf News ridicules Ahmadinejad's promise of tripling the cash handout to Iranian citizens.

Trade

• Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, traveling to Cuba and Ecuador says Iran hopes to increase trade relations from $60 million to $600 million.

Photos of the Day

• Qods Force chief Qassem Suleimani addresses the Assembly of Experts.