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].

(E) = Article in English

Two Iranian reformists seek asylum in West; Ahmadinejad says ‘Russia made a mistake’ in IAEA vote; Iran’s Vice President warns West over nuclear issue; Ahmadinejad hints limiting cooperation with IAEA; Iran agrees to offer Indian, Angolan companies 60% of phase twelve of South Pars gas field; Ahmadinejad hails improving ties with Brazil; Iran releases British sailors captured by IRGC

Politics

• Kayhan editor Shariatmadari accuses Karrubi of propagating "American Islam."

•  Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani absent at the Parliament's "Thanksgiving for Unity" gathering.

•  Ahmadinejad will travel to Isfahan Wednesday.

• Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi, the Supreme Leader's Representative to the Revolutionary Guards, addressing the IRGC Ground Forces says "despite the election discord having ebbed significantly, its side effects have remained and one must inform [the public] of difference dimensions of the discord..."

• According to Alef News Agency, Mohammadali Towfighi, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Central Committee member, seeks asylum in Sweden.

  • Mehtari, Public Relations member of the same faction who had prepared a documentary on the Kahrizak Detention Center, seeks asylum in the United States.

  • Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution website announces that the two individuals were no longer with the organization.

  • (E) Two members of the Reformist political front, the Islamic Revolution Mujahedeen Organization, have sought asylum in Sweden and the United States respectively. Ebrahim Mehtari, one of the reformists, is responsible for publicly exposing claims of rape and torture suffered bye protesters after the June elections.

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad says Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has told him that he intends to develop his country "using the path of the Imam [Khomeini] and the Islamic revolution." Ahmadinejad also says "an Iranian company has been inaugurated to build 10,000 housing units, 4000 of which are in use and the rest will soon be delivered to the people of Venezuela."

• Office of Consolidation of Unity Student Organization and Islamic student associations at various universities announce demonstrations in front of the British Embassy calling on the British government to extradite an Iranian citizen based in Britain, Arash Hejazi, whom they accuse of having murdered Neda Aghasoltan.

  • According to Fars News Agency, the demonstration will also protest against violation of territorial integrity of Iran by British sailors.

     

• According to Sobh-e Sadegh, the Chair in Persian literature at the University of San'a has been abolished, the Iranian hospital and the Iranian school in the Yemeni capital have been shut, the Islamic Republic has reduced the number of diplomats at its embassy, and Iranian citizens are leaving Yemen.

• Abolfazl Zohrevand, former ambassador to Rome:

  • "Iran and the United States have two different paradigms and two different ways of behavior and the problem is essential. It is not so that there are a couple of issues which can be solved with negotiations. This has to do with the nature of the Islamic revolution and the nature of the world imperialism..."

  • "Should the United States manage to free itself from the claws of Zionism and work within the interests of the interests of the American nation rather than the preferences of Zionism and AIPAC, and should the United States no longer one sided support and recognize the rights of the Palestinian nation as a member of the international community, only then it [the United States] has changed..."

  • "Only a negotiation will be legitimate and acceptable for us which takes place in the wake of trustworthy change in the internal environment of the United States. Therefore, after such changes, any relationship is imaginable..."

     

Military and Security

• Alireza Tangsiri, Revolutionary Guards First Operational Zone Chief, confirms it was the IRGC which arrested the British citizens in the Persian Gulf.

  • (E) According to Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Crops (IRCG) Naval Forces Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, the military is prepared to defend Iran in a maritime confrontation. Through war game simulations, IRGC forces have developed reliable strategies to protect the country’s water borders.

  • (E) IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri announced that the IRGC had arrested five British nationals for trespassing on Iranian waters in the Gulf Sea. The British citizens were sailing a 60-foot Volvo racing yacht from Bahrain to Dubai when they were stopped by Iranian officials. According to the British government, the detainees are being treated well.

     

• An "informed security source" says a terrorist group trained and armed by the United States" has been arrested in Karaj. According to Alef News, the group was trying to "commit acts of terror which it later would blame the government for."

• Intelligence Minister Moslehi protests against delays in the prosecution of Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, son of the former president, on corruption and other charges.

• Three parliamentarians ask questions criticizing handover of Iran Telecommunications to the Revolutionary Guards.

• Revolutionary Guards Spokesman reports use of mid-range cannons as anti-aircraft guns, and increase of the fire range of Russian missile Tour M1 to 35000 feet.

• Sobh-e Sadegh attacks Mir-Hossein Mousavi's praise for "Basij of the first decade of the revolution" and criticism of the role of the role of the Basij today and writes it is Mousavi who has changed and not the Basij.

• Sobh-e Sadegh report on Fatemeh Al-Zahra Revolutionary Guards hospital in Kerman Province and its services to the unprivileged neighboring Sistan va Balouchestan province.

Nuclear Issue

• Ahmadinejad says Brazil has nuclear power plants, but "they don't produce their own fuel and they are interested in using Iran's capacities in fuel production."

• Ahmadinejad, referring to IAEA resolution, says "Russia has made a mistake. Russia has not a correct assessment of the conditions of world affairs today and may have moved in that direction based upon wrong information..."

  • (E) Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ramin Mehman-parast, emphasized that Russia must explain its recent vote in favor of an anti-Iran resolution form the IAEA Board of Governors. According to Mehman-parast, Russia has been involved in many details of Iran’s civilian program and this recent measure puts the transparency of relations with Russia into question.

     

• (E) In a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko at Bushehr, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi clearly stated that Iran does not have plans to produce a nuclear weapon. Salehi attempted to prove Iran’s commitment to a civilian program by highlighting the Islamic Republic’s dedication to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Salehi recalled that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei considers the pursuit of nuclear weapons to be “a sin.”

• (E) In reaction to skepticism on the part of Iranian officials regarding Russia’s ability to complete the Bushehr plant, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko reassured officials that the project would be completed in a short time. Shmatko acknowledged that the project has been delayed since its original 2009 deadline, but the minister assured Iranian critics that the delay was a result of technical difficulties and not political wrangling. This announcement occurred after a successful test was administered at the plant.

• (E) Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned western officials, many of whom consider Iran’s recent announcement to build ten enrichment sites to be a political bluff, that construction will indeed take place. Rahimi expressed hope that Iran would succeed in producing fuel for its Tehran reactor.

Economy

• Amirreza Rajabi, Energy Headquarters Chief, says there is a possibility that gasoline will be rationed and the rations reduced due to the winter.

Trade

• Ahmadinejad discusses commercial relations between Iran and Brazil on live television: " They have airplanes and we have satellite and missiles delivering the satellites and we can have good cooperation in this field... We discussed establishing links between the private sector in both countries, discussed easing travel and direct flights between the two countries."

  • According to Ahmadinejad Iran and Senegal have established a joint auto manufacturing company which is the "most modern factory in Africa."

  • According to Donya-ye Eghtesad, Iranian/Brazilian shoe manufacturing companies have been established in economic development areas of Iran and their products have found their way to the United States market through German intermediaries. Link upon request.

     

• According to India’s Press Trust, the Islamic Republic has offered to hand over 40 percent of a gas field in the Persian Gulf - the 12th Phase of the South Pars Gas Field - to Indian companies.

  • (E) Seyfollah Jashnsaz, the Managing Director of state-run National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), announced that Iran continues to purchase petrol from India. These remarks followed a recent statement from a senior official at India's Reliance Industries, the largest private refiner in India, that the company had not sold petrol to Iran since April.

     

• Donya-ye Eghtesad writes that the first international bank establishing its business in Iran's free trade areas will be based in Chabahar. 35 percent of the shares of the companies will be owned by foreign investors and 65 percent to Iranian investors. Link upon request.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Voice and Vision Chief Ezattollah Zarghami says makeup for women is "religiously and legally prohibited."

• Accordiing to Donya-ye Eghtesad, a French comedian and Yahya Ghavasemi, head of the Anti Zionist Party of France, met Ahmadinejad and, according to the comedian, received "enough funding to produce two Hollywood movies" on European slave trade and Algeria's struggle for independence. Link upon request.

• (E) Iranian athletes Mostafa Nazari, Mohammad Taheri, and Vahid Shamsaei have been invited by FIFA to join an international world “all-stars” team to challenge the Brazilian champions. The teams will play in the Brazilian cities of Natal and Recife on December 28-29^th.

• (E) In a meeting with Iranian directors and artists, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei declared the western film industry, most notably Hollywood, to be a cover for the spread of political ideology. Khamenei described western films to be laced with political messages. Khamenei suggested that Iranian artists use their work to spread the message of the Islamic Revolution.

• (E) Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi is scheduled to showcase three films at India's Third Eye Asian Film Festival. The festival will take place from December 4-10^th and will exhibit 100 short films from 24 countries.

Public Health

• (E) Deputy Health Minister Hassan Emami Razavi reported that Iran is expected to receive a cargo of swine flu vaccines in two weeks. Razavi emphasized that only the most vulnerable citizens will receive the vaccines and reminded Iranians that most people infected with the swine flu can recover at home.

Photo of the Day

• Mohammadali Ramin, press deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and a close aide to Ahmadinejad, leaves memorial service of the late Ali Kordan, Interior Minister, with his feet wrapped in plastic bags due to shoe theft at the mosque.