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

• Mowj-e Sabz News Agency attacks Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei:

  • "On November 3, 2009, the leader of the Islamic Republic, a day before commemoration of the attack against the American Embassy by the Students Following the Line of the Imam, made some statements in the assembly of school children and pupils who had sought him and by defining the meaning of 'imperialism' once again attacked the United States government and criticized those whom he called 'tired revolutionaries.' In his speech the Leader of Iran made contradictory statements. The speech itself was contradictory, but it also contradicted his past performance and in certain instances it was even opposed to certain religious matters and ethical issues..."
  • "In the Quran, God has urged people not to call each other names, should those named be friends or enemies. But, unfortunately, for years the statements of the Leader are polluted with such statements and words. For example, a few years ago, in a reaction to criticism made by His Holiness Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, the great source of emulation of the world of Shi'ism, in a shameful manner he called him 'a destitute old man.' There is religious punishment for the person uttering such statement. Also, the Leader, in a reaction to the negotiations of Yasir Arafat, the beloved late leader of the Palestinians, with Bill Clinton, the President of the United States called the two men "a guy" and "a clown."
  • "In his November 3, 2009 speech, he called his comrades and fellow brothers in arms and his critics of today 'tired and repentant revolutionaries.'"
  • "Individuals like Behzad Nabavi, Mohamamd Atrianfar, Morteza Alviri, Mohsen Mir-Damadi, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Feizollah Arab-Sorkhi, and tens of others are today imprisoned, and interestingly most of them are also veteran prisoners of the previous regime..."
  • "But among the entourage of the Leader there are people like Ahmad Jannati, Mesbah Yazdi, Ahmad Khatami, Hossein Taeb, Ja'fari and Naghdi who have the least revolutionary record and some of them had even chosen the security of political inactivity at the time of the struggle against the imperial regime. Even Mr. Khamenei, when looking at the time he spent in prison, exile and the type of revolutionary struggle he was engaged in, has hardly a shining revolutionary past compared with individuals like Behzad Nabavi and Hashemi Rafsanjani. It is quite understandable that he, in order establish control over others, assembles people around himself who have the least revolutionary past so God forbid, no one opposes him or criticizes him and he feels inferior when it comes to past record of revolutionary struggle..."
  • "In his definition of imperialism, the Leader of the Islamic Republic says: 'Imperialism means a power in the world, or some powers in the world, who know they have the economic, military and propaganda means and therefore allow themselves to intervene in internal affairs of the states and other nations. This is the meaning of imperialism.' This definition is very correct and welcome. But is it only applicable at the international level? Let us read these sentences in the following way: 'If a power or powers in Iran, who know they have the economic (the oil money and other national resources), military (the Revolutionary Guards, the Basij, the Law Enforcement Forces, the Judiciary, prisons, the pressure groups and the like) and propaganda (radio, television, state run newspapers and the like), and therefore allow themselves to intervene in the personal affairs of the citizens.' Are the sentences mentioned above not descriptive of the affairs of society in Iran and behavior of the Leader and his supporters in state machinery? If this does not mean 'imperialism' it most certainly is definition of 'absolutism.'

• Former Tehran Prosecutor General, Said Mortazavi to be appointed as head of the Penitentiary Organization of Iran.

• RAJA News releases text of Hojjat al-Eslam Hamid Rowhani's speech accusing Rafsanjani of igniting the unrest in his pre-election open letter to Supreme Leader Khamenei. Link upon request.

• Former President Mohammad Khatami:

  • "Imam [Khomeini] believed that different [political] inclinations had to be present. He even overtly announced if someone is against the very foundation of the regime, he is free in this country and his security must be guaranteed until he uses arms or conspires to harm the foundation of the regime and of course no regime accepts such a thing. But these are the exceptions. He even recognizes the dignity, civic rights, freedom and security of the opponents of the regime and the intellectual opponents of the foundations of the regime...."
  • "Why is the Constitution being ignored today? Does the Constitution not describe the right of activity of [political] formations and freedom of speech and free presence of the people [in the political arena]?"
  • Khatami visits Morteza Alviri upon his release from Evin Prison.

• Academic Sadegh Zibakalam:

  • "Apart from unofficial gatherings at the November 4th demonstrations and the violent dealings of the Law Enforcement Forces and plainclothes agents with the protesters, the most important issue is defeat of the ideas of the winning faction in the presidential election.
  • For the past four months they have called every demonstration and every act of protest as discord and unrest and, in their analysis, they stressed that such protests were organized by the United States, Britain and opponents of the regime aiming at a velvet revolution. On this ground they arrested many well known reformist political faces accusing them of being involved in the discord and they claimed that by doing so they blinded the eyes of discord and suppressed the conspiracy.
  • But today, we see that despite the leaders of the conspiracy and directors of the velvet revolution being in custody and have no relationship with the outside world seen apart from a few minutes of meetings with their families, the wave of popular protest continues. And despite knowing that they would be beaten and arrested  - as the case was - the came to the streets on November 4th. Now the question is this: If the authorities are correct in their claim that all the elements of discord and conspiracy were identified and arrested, how come do we see protesters in the streets?"

• Hossein Karrubi releases an official statement refuting IRNA's report that quoted him badmouthing Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

• Abd al-Hamid Samareh Hashemi, brother of senior presidential adviser Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, is appointed Head of Research and Human Resource Center of the Energy Ministry. Mohsen Samareh Hashemi, another brother, is appointed Water Director General in Kerman province. Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi himself is the son of sister of Mohammad-Reza Bahonar, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament.

• Ahmadinejad visits former Interior Minister Ali Kordan, who is hospitalized with cancer.

• Hojjat al-Eslam Mehdi Taeb, political analyst: "The reform movement is an expansive political alliance in which some were seeking true reforms...But there were also some who were trying to take advantage of the regime to achieve their factional goals and did not mean anything else with their slogan of reform... Extremist elements of the reform movement - by joining the Green Movement - attempted at leading a velvet coup and a color revolution in Iran..."

• Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: "The people are awaiting punishment of the perpetrators of crime in Kahrizak [Detention Center] and Tehran University Dormitory." 

• Imprisoned veteran politician Behzad Nabavi's lawyer says Nabavi has declined to accept legal charges against him at the Tehran show trials. 

Diplomacy

• Tehran Revolutionary Tribunal Prosecutor says three foreign nationals, two Germans and one Canadian arrested on November 4 were freed. One Danish citizens is still under arrest and "the authorities have been asked to attend to his reasons of being in Iran, his documents and professional tasks." The Iranian stringer of Agence France Presse is also under arrest.

  • Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, First Vice President, reports expansion of relations with Denmark in various fields. Meeting Denmark's Ambassador to Tehran, Tomas Anker Christensen Rahimi said: "One should not allow a few individuals to - through insults against the sacred matters of the nations, including the Muslims - deteriorate relations between states such as Iran and Denmark." Commenting arrest of a Danish student visiting Iran, Rahimi said: "The Islamic Republic shows Islamic mercy towards and deals justly with criminals." Denmark's Ambassador to Iran said: "A few individuals can't with their insulting behavior resist the two nations of Iran and Denmark and disturb Tehran/Copenhagen relations." According to Fars News Agency the Danish Ambassador to Tehran "also expressed the interest of Danish investors and merchants in presence in Iran."

• Mehdi Karrubi asks why the legal system prosecutes reformist politicians on charges of espionage for the United States while the Ahmadinejad government engages in negotiations with the United States. Video.

  • Houshang Amir-Ahmadi, Iranian/American academic, says he held secret meetings with Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff - whose daughter has married Mehdi Ahmadinejad - in a villa in Gilan. Parlamen News writes that Supreme Leader Khamenei's statements that the Iranians should not be "misled by the smiles of the Americans" is a reference to Mashaei's contacts with the representatives of the United States.

• Abdollah Rouh al-Amini, from Mohsen Rezai’s Justice and Development Party, defends the 1979 seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran.

• Tabnak News condemns certain Arab news agencies and newspapers trying at depict the conflict in Yemen as a Saudi/Iranian proxy battle.

•  (E) Secretary General of Afghan National Welfare Party Mohammad Hassan Jafari refuted Western claims that Iran has been interfering in Afghanistan. In fact, Jafari declared “Iran's support for Kabul has been unprecedented and unique."

• (E) In a meeting with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the 25th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Istanbul, President Ahmadinejad stated that there are no limitations in Iran’s foreign policy with Turkey. Ahmadinejad reiterated that the two countries share similar interests.

  • (E) Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu met at the 25th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Istanbul to discuss strengthening bilateral ties. Mottaki is a member of President Ahmadinejad’s delegation to Turkey.

• (E) Ahmadinejad is planning to visit Venezuela to join Hugo Chavez in inaugurating a joint housing project in the state. During Chavez’s recent visit to Iran, the two leaders signed over 200 agreements in the areas of food, oil, trade, housing, health, and finance

• (E) Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, emphasized the possibilities of strong Iran-Russian cooperation. In a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in Tehran, Jalili said “Strategic cooperation with Russia is an option for the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

• (E) Speaking to a group of Iranian ex-patriots in Turkey, President Ahmadinejad told the group to await upcoming developments in aerospace technology and bio-technology sciences. Ahmadinejad also discussed the importance of the Iranian-Turkish relationship.

• (E) At the 25th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, President Ahmadinejad spoke about the need to change the global economic environment, and more specifically, the integration of economic policy in Islamic countries. Ahmadinjad proposed the establishment of a joint market and the annihilation of poverty as potential solutions.

• (E) Iran's ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee expressed his frustration at UN Security Council Member’s veto powers to halt investigations into Israel’s crimes during the Gaza campaign. A resolution condemning Israel’s actions recently passed, with 114 countries voting to condemn Israel, 18 countries defending Israel, and 44 abstaining. Khazaeee stressed the importance of the Goldstone Report and said “Pursuit of the report will clear the way for restoration of rights of the Palestinian people.”

Military and Security

• Commander Ali-Reza Jahed, newly appointed Revolutionary Guards Chief of Sistan Va Balouchestan: "Martyr Shoushtari managed to compile a long list of individuals from all the tribes and four grand sessions of the tribes were held. The Kurdish tribes in Sangan and Khash, Rigi tribes in Mir-Javeh, Sistani tribes in Zabol and the Saravan tribe. The fifth assembly of the tribes planned to take place in Pishin did not materialize because of the terrorist act...But the efforts of Commander Shoushtari have affected the area and the elders of the tribes have a positive view on the authorities of the regime and this effort should continue energetically...In order to guarantee the security we will move forward with arming members of the Basij from each tribe..."

• Commander Jazayeri, Cultural Deputy of the General Staff, commenting on recent shootings in the United States, predicts dissolution of the United States.

• Commander Rajabzadeh, Greater Tehran Law Enforcement Forces Chief, says 109 individuals were arrested on November 4 of whom 47 are released from prison and 62 are awaiting a legal process.

• Commander Rouzbehani, Chief of the Moral Department of the Law Enforcement Forces denies existence of an organized gang of "Satanists" in Iran.

• Commander Hossein Salami, Revolutionary Guards Deputy, says the Pakistani security agency had arrested but released Jundollah leader Abd al-Malek Rigi.

• Abdollah Haji-Sadeghi, political expert, says the United States' $55 million budget for "soft warfare against the Islamic Republic" will not succeed.

  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mahmoud Rajabi: "The United States is the ancient enemy of the nation and the regime and with the positions it has taken and because of its enmity towards the principalist government, it fights it as much as it can...Our people are intelligent and such investments [the $55 million] is a waste of money and the United States will most certainly be defeated once again...As the Supreme Leader has said, the Americans speak of friendship but they have a dagger in their hand which they want to use for soft warfare..."

• Ala al-Din Boroujerdi, chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament: "The S300 issue is an old story but it also is the beginning of a new chapter of misbehavior of the Russians towards Iran… Should our negotiations not bear fruit and should they not live up to their obligations towards Iran it would start a negative point between the two countries."

• The Cultural Heritage Organization says it will use armed members of the Basij to guard archeological sites. 

Media

• Supreme Leader Khamenei by decree prolongs Ezzat-Allah Zarghami's tenure as director of Islamic Republic of Iran Voice and Vision.

• Rafsanjani, receiving former parliamentarians from western Iran, called for "greater opportunity to criticize the regime" in the national media.

• Parsineh reports electronic parasite transmitters based in Lavizan, Ekbatan City, Shahrak-e Gharb, Jam-e Jam and Tehran Pars engaged in disrupting TV transmissions to Tehran.

• ArabSat stops transmitting Iran’s al-Alam Television.

• Lebanese Hezbollah condemns transmission stop of al-Alam; calls it "violation of freedom of speech."

Human Rights

• Journalists Nafiseh Zare'-Kohan and Hojjat Sharifi arrested on unknown grounds.

• The family of Said Abbasi, killed while in custody of the Law Enforcement Forces, complain that the tombstone of their son has been vandalized.

Economy

• Chief of the General Staff Firouz-Abadi urges the Parliament to cooperate with the Ahmadinejad government with regard to reform of the subsidies system.

• Price of bread in Tehran neighborhoods: 

  • Sangak bread: Shahrak-e Gharb, 20000 rials, Pasdaran: 10000 rials Sadatabad: 7000 rials, Pirouzi Avenue and Omid City: 2500 rials and 3500 rials, Javadiyeh: 1500 rials.
  • Lavash bread: Southern Karegar Boulevard, Javadiyeh, Shariati, Sadatabad and Omid City: 300 rials.
  • Barbari bread: Mokhtari Cross, Azerbaijan Avenue, Shariati Street, and Adl-Abad neighborhood: 1500 rials, Nahr-e Firouz-Abad Street of Javadiyeh and Pasdaran: 2000 rials, Sadatabad: 2000 rials, Shahrak-e Gharb 3000 rials, Omid City 5000 rials, Ketabi Square: 6000 rials. 

• E'temad publishes an interview with Mahmoud Hashemi Rafsanjani, brother of the former president, on pistachio farming in Iran. 

Trade

• The Economist reports Foreign Direct Investments in Iran as low as $900 million in 2009. 

• Four Iranian banks receive €57 million credit from the Islamic Development Bank. 

• Aftab-e Yazd reports delays in Sri Lanka's investments in a joint Iranian/Sri Lankan oil refinery. 

• (E) The 3rd executive committee meeting of Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF)'s experts was held in Qatar. GECF was established in 2008 and seeks to share information about innovations in gas exportation and extraction. Participants include Algeria, Bolivia, Brunei, Indonesia, Egypt, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, UAE, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

• (E) Iran opened its fourth exclusive fair in Baku. The fair showcased the products of fifty-five Iranian companies in the areas of industry, agriculture, clothing, household appliances and drugs.

Religion, Culture, and Society

• (E) Iran is planning to take part in the 18th round of Asian Track and Field Championships in China. The Iranian team consists of eleven men and four women.

•  (E) An earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale hit the town of Bardkhon in Bushehr province Southern Iran. Infrastructural damages and casualties have not yet been reported.

Photos of the Day

• Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and former Speaker of the Parliament Haddad-Adel at the graduation ceremony at the Imam Khomeini Research Institute in Qom.