Iran News Round Up

 A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar, and Michael Rubin. To subscribe to this daily newsletter, e-mail [email protected].

Politics

• Agah-Sazi publishes a two week-old speech of Mousavi delivered at the Jamaran mosque in which he says "the Constitution is not divine revelation and based upon the necessities of the time can be revised within its predicted framework." Mousavi also countered critics: "We have certain people whose files are very polluted if judged by the standards of Imam [Khomeini]. Suddenly they came and claimed that a huge popular movement is related with the Monafeghin [Hypocrites, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization] and the like. These people are the very same individuals who create the crisis, and it is in their interest that their files are not revealed to the public. Therefore, they constantly create and contribute to the conflicts of the country and create suspicion... And they constantly claim that these people are related to the foreigners. This makes the foreigners greater than they are. If the foreigners are so great that they can make so many people enter the arena, we should capitulate and resign from the Islamic revolution." Concluding his speech Mousavi said: "We are suffering from a leprous numbness... The body of the revolution is being dismembered and we don't feel it..."

• Academic Hashem Aghajari says the Green Movement is invincible. 

• Parliamentarian Rouhollah Hosseinian demands to be appointed judge in a trial prosecuting Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

• Martyr Beheshti's office in Tehran, run by Alireza Beheshti, attacked by unknown elements. 

• Fars News Agency discusses Mostafa Tajzadeh, imprisoned reformist theoretician and former United States Embassy hostage taker. 

• Rouhallah Ahmadizadeh Kermani to be appointed Fars Governor, Javad Ghena'at to be appointed Golestan Governor, Aliakbar Tahayi to be Mazandaran Governor and Ebrahim Kharkhaneh'i to be appointed Hamedan Governor. 

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad at a press conference in Turkey: "We have announced that we welcome genuine change and anyone who extends a sincere hand towards the Iranian nation, we welcome that. But changes must take place in practice and we are interested in and expect that to happen. I personally congratulated Mr. Obama after his election and helped him to make change, but let me ask you. What change has happened until now? Has Guantanamo prison been closed? Are the policies of the United States government in support of the Zionist regime and mass murder of the Palestinians changed? We would like to see changes in practice. Of course, change is difficult and if Mr. Obama wants to succeed he must engage in great deeds. He can't simultaneously be the friend of the nations and support the murderous Zionist regime. It must choose one of the two."

• Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Parliament, is received by Grand Ayatollah Sistani in Iraq and, according to Asr-e Iran, has succeeded to unify the Iraqi Shi'a. 

• The Islamic Republic and Lesotho sign a memorandum of cooperation.

• Ramin Mehmanparast is appointed Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry. 

• Pouryazdanparast, former hostage taker, defends seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran. 

Military and Security

• Supreme Leader Khamenei appoints Interior Minister Mohammad-Mostafa Najjar, as deputy commander of the Law Enforcement Forces.

• Commander Mohammadsaleh Jowkar, Pupil's Basij Chief says "6,000 Basij resistance units are formed at primary schools." 

• Agah-Sazi releases a two week-old speech of Mousavi in which he condemns the economic activities of the Revolutionary Guards: "At a certain time, the discussion was raised that the Armed Forces have economic needs and must enter commercial activities. I was opposed to this and believed that this would create various problems for the state. They would argue that the Armed Forces want to engage in construction work. I said an armed force which is more interested in how much the price of the dollar is will no longer attend to its duties and will become corrupt… Expansion of strange financial institutions have both created problems among our military and law enforcement forces and among the people."

• Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says "When it comes to procurement of S300 missiles, we have an agreement with Russia and I don't think Russia finds it desirable to become known as an unreliable partner internationally."

• Commander Hossein Hamedani appointed Mohammad Rasoulallah Revolutionary Guards unit chief of Greater Tehran replacing Eraghi.

• Mohseni Ezhehi, the Islamic Republic Prosecutor General, says enemies know Iran is "invincible" when it faces external threats and so are now investing in internal unrest.

Nuclear Issue

• Ahmadinejad at a press conference in Turkey says the Islamic Republic will expand its "factories producing nuclear fuel." 

• [E] Ahmadinejad says the West has retreated in its nuclear dispute with Tehran, as it is no longer talking of suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment activities.

Economy

• Ahmadinejad at a joint session of the cabinet and the parliament: "The government is absolutely not trying to abolish subsidies but desires to distribute them strategically and correctly. Should this be conducted correctly, it will most certainly be to the benefit of the state and the majority of the people...I think the picture some friends have of this great plan is not real..."

• $1 billion from the foreign exchange reserve transferred to the Tehran metro project.

Trade

• The Islamic Republic stops export of natural gas to Armenia.

Health

• [E] Swine flu has claimed the lives of 58 people across Iran as the national tally of infected people passes 2660, the country's Health Ministry said.

Iran in Afghan Media

• Iran pledges to help Afghanistan combat opium cultivation by providing alternative crops. Esmail Ahmadi, the Director General of Iran’s National Drugs Control Headquarters, said that illicit drug trafficking along the Afghan-Iranian border had created security problems for both countries. Iran is expected to help Afghanistan with alternative crops and provide Afghan farmers with agricultural equipment and cash loans.

Photos of the Day

• Mohsen Rezai receives Sunni religious leaders.