Iran News Round Up

Politics

• Ahmadinejad defends the late Ali Kordan on the anniversary of his passing, says those who impeached him "must await divine justice."
• Parliamentarian Emad Hosseini says the government, rather than shutting down Tehran city, should pay for the Tehran metro to reduce pollution.
  • Parliamentarian Hojjat al-Eslam Reza Akrami says the government, rather than praying for rain, should finance the Tehran metro.

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad addresses the masses in Mazandaran, accuses Israel of assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists: "I warn the hegemonists: Stop the Zionist mad dogs. The Iranian nation will not entangle itself with the lackeys of the imperialists but will go directly to their masters..."
• [E] Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili stressed that the recent assassinations of Iranian scientists signify the ineffectiveness of international and unilateral sanctions against Tehran.
• [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday morning to participate in the International Donors and Investors Conference for East Sudan.

Military and Security

• According to Fararu News' analyst, the Wikileaks documents on Arab demands for United States strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities is "a secret version of a clear reality."
• Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization accepts responsibility for assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists.
• Said Jalili, Supreme National Security Council secretary: "It is shameful for the Security Council that the terrorists enact its resolutions."
• Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi, says a "spy network for identifying elite researchers in Iran" has been detected by the Intelligence Ministry.

Nuclear Issue

• Ahmadinejad addresses the masses in Sari: "I want to tell this to the corrupt powers of the world. The Iranian nation has invited you to follow the culture of the guardianship and the imamate. If you accept it, you will follow the path of salvation and guidance. But if you remain stubborn, the power of God which emanates from the arms of this nation will force you down from the throne of imperialism and will force hardships upon you... There was a time when they made so many threats concerning Iran's nuclear issue. What have they reached today, after passing four resolutions? They thought if they pass a harsh resolution they can usurp the rights of the Iranian nation and now they say 'we want to negotiate….' If you want to negotiate you should abandon the behavior of those who rebel against God, since the Iranian nation will not allow anyone to retreat when it comes to the rights of the Iranian nation."
• Fars News Agency says transfer of fuel to Bushehr Nuclear Plant has been completed.
• [E] Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asqar Soltaniyeh called on all countries to increase cooperation to expand peaceful applications of nuclear energy in the world.
• [E] Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced Tehran's preparedness to start negotiations with the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in Switzerland on December 6.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani says sinful acts result in drought, and adds sending female athletes to perform outside Iran is shameful.

Economy

• [E] Iranian Economy Minister Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini underscored that Iran's security and stability provides a good ground for foreign capital holders to increase their investment in the country. 

Photo of the Day

• Ahmadinejad on the anniversary Ali Kordan’s death.