Iran News Round Up

Iranian Intelligence Minister warns of opposition plots; Ahmadinejad arrives in Denmark for climate summit; Larijani warns against presence of foreign forces in Caucasus; Iranian authorities ask Islamabad to arrest Jundullah leader, accuse Pakistan’s spy agency of complicity; Iran calls on 5+1 to revise approach

Politics

• Rafsanjani's response to personal criticism by Ayatollah Yazdi, Hojjat al-Eslam Hosseinian and Hojjat al-Eslam Ziarati: "Wishing him a cure and sending greetings has for years been my answer to Mr. Yazdi...Unfortunately, sometimes he, because of physical problems, gets angry and expresses his viewpoint in a hasty way...There are also some people who want to become famous by insulting others and [my] answer to them is silence and prayer so they receive guidance!"

• Ayatollah Mousavi Ardebili says the disagreements of today are "within the family of revolution."

• Parliamentarian Torabi speaks in support of Rafsanjani, Mousavi and Karrubi from the tribune of the parliament.

  • Parliamentarian Mohammadreza Tabesh, speaking from the tribune of the parliament, demands release of political prisoners and "prosecution of the true criminals."

• Asr-e Iran reports a movement in the parliament to dismiss Aliakbar Mohtashamipour as Support to Palestine's Revolution General Secretary.

• Alef News Agency accuses the Green Movement and especially Mehdi Karrubi of using "free mason" and "Zionist" symbols in his pamphlets.

• Welfare Minister Sadegh Mahsouli tries to subject Imam Khomeini Aid and Relief Committee to his ministerial control.

Diplomacy

• Hamid Baghaei, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization General Director, in a letter to Ahmadinejad asks the president to demand "war reparation" from the Allies because of breaching Iran's neutrality during World War II.

  • According to Parsineh's analyst the Islamic Republic authorities are trying to portray suffering of the Iranian population during WWII as a "holocaust" caused by the Allies.

• [E] Ahmadinejad arrived in Copenhagen to attend the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

• [E] Ahmadinejad calls on the United States to keep to its geographical borders. Speaking to Danish media, Ahmadinejad criticized the U.S. military intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries.

Military and Security

• Basij Chief Mohammadreza Naghdi urges religious praise singers to "identify the Hosseins and Yazids of the era to the people" during Moharram.

• Cultural and Propaganda Deputy of the Armed Forces Supreme Command Council [the General Staff] expresses its readiness to participate in this Friday's demonstrations "against the insult against the [photo of] Imam [Khomeini]..."

• Intelligence Minister Moslehi: "Based upon intelligence extracted from within the teams directed by the heads of the discord, we discovered that they are trying to establish a new social movement which tries to promote fundamental change in the regime of the Islamic Republic. In this regard also the Supreme Leader made some statements and said that 'they want something resembling Islam, but in reality something else…' We see that all identity based groups such as the Monafeghin [MKO], monarchists, homosexuals and Marxists are present... Anyone who harbors enmity towards the regime can be present in this movement...The insult against the picture of Imam [Khomeini]...is connected to a seminar in Britain...Issues such as guarding the vote, examination of the vote, and the like are all soft warfare issues."

• [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warns against the presence of foreign forces in the Caucasus. "Deployment of foreign troops in the region only makes the issue more complicated which is not favorable to any regional country," Larijani said in a meeting with visiting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Tehran.

• [E] Iranian authorities have called on Pakistani officials to capture and extradite ringleader of Jundullah group Abdolmalek Rigi to Tehran, pointing out that Iran has presented evidence to Islamabad that shows links between Pakistani intelligence services and the Jundullah.

Economy

• Unemployment at 12.5 percent.

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Tehran has called on the Group 5+1 to change its attitude towards the country's peaceful nuclear program. "G5+1 countries need to revise their approach," Iran's Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Baqeri said. He also said that if nuclear fuel for Tehran research reactor is not imported, Iran will move towards nuclear fuel production. "We are seriously observing the process of producing twenty percent-enriched nuclear fuel for Tehran research reactor and if it becomes possible, we will move towards fuel production for sure," he said, speaking in a university in Tehran on Tuesday evening.

Photo of the Day

• Tehran Mayor Qalibaf in Sweden.