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

Pro-regime rally occurs in Tehran; IRNA says as many as 37 died in Sunday’s protests; Larijani condemns those “insulting the religious values of Ashoura; new wave of arrests; clashes between police and students in Tehran; Mashhad Friday Prayers leader says the people should deal with the “masterminds of discord” as combatants if they do not “repent”; Law Enforcement Forces chief says “the time of dealing [nicely] with the anarchists is over,” and blames Western intelligence agencies for a flow of weapons into Iran; several protestors from Sunday, alleged Mojahedin-e Khalq members, rumored to be hanged; and British ambassador summoned to Foreign Ministry.

Politics

• Wednesday's pro regime rally in Tehran:

  • The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran urges all public employees to participate at a demonstration in favor of the regime Wednesday.

    • Photo of the Industry Ministry's copy of the letter.

  • According to Fars News Agency "several million people" participated in "an epic" pro-regime demonstration in Tehran and chanted "Death to America," "Death to Britain," "Death to Israel," "Death to Mousavi," "Death to Mousavi," "Death to Khatami," "Death to Karrubi," "Death to three Husseins: Saddam Hussein, Barak Hussein [Obama], Mir-Hossein [Mousavi]," "Death to the hypocrite," and the like.

  • Ayatollah Ahmad Alam al-Hoda, Mashhad Friday Prayers Leader, addressing the demonstrations in Tehran, says "should the masterminds of the discord not repent, the people will deal with them as combatant [against the regime, for which there is death penalty.]

    • Alam al-Hoda also stressed that all the members of Assembly of Experts have voted in favor of leadership of Supreme Leader Khamenei.

    • The ayatollah also likened the protesters with "goats and sheep."

  • The pro-regime rally also chanted slogans against Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic who is close to the leaders of the Green Movement.

• Ali Larijani, parliamentary speaker, speaking in Razavi Khorasan, condemned those "insulting the religious values of Ashoura."

Diplomacy

• British ambassador to Tehran summoned to the Foreign Ministry Tuesday. Mehmanparast, Foreign Ministry Spokesman, condemns "British intervention in Iran's internal affairs."

  • Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottakki: "If you [the British] don't stop saying all this nonsense you will receive a slap in your mouth!"

• Ahmadinejad accuses the United States and "certain European countries" of intervening in internal affairs of Iran and said "some events taking place are on their behest."

• Hojjat al-Eslam Mohtashamipour, Support for the Palestinian Intifada General Secretary, says, "Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon [My life be sacrificed for Iran, chanted by the Green Movement]" is a "deviation" as a slogan.

Military and Security

• According to IRNA, "the heads of the discord have fled Tehran...and in a state of terror and confusion are hiding in Western Mazandaran," indicating that Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karrubi are under house arrest for the sake of their own security.

  • JORS News, close to the Green Movement, refutes the story.

• Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff, warns of deterioration of the political crisis in Iran.

• According to IRNA the number of those killed at Sunday's anti-government demonstrations was not 8, but as high as 37. 

• JORS reports violent clashes between students and plainclothes agents at Science and Technology University in Tehran on Tuesday.

• JORS News reports "systematic attack of plainclothes agents against offices of Ayatollah Sanei in Tehran, Mashhad, Kerman, Sari, Gorgan and Shiraz."

  • The same individuals are reported to have gathered in front of the offices of Grand Ayatollahs Makarem Shirazi and Sobhani demanding that they should "take a position with regard to Sunday's events."

  • According to later reports plainclothes agents have "squatted" the offices of Ayatollah Sanei in Qom.

• Ayatollah Dastgheib, Assembly of Experts member, says his private home in Shiraz, Abousaleh theological seminary in Shiraz and the Ghoba Mosque have been attacked by plainclothes agents.

• Report of a new wave of arrest of political activists:

  • Mashallah Shams al-Vaezin, spokesman of the Free Press Foundation, Shapour Kazemi, brother of Mir-Hossein Mousavi's wife, Morteza Kazemian, journalist, Reza Tajik, journalist, Noushin Ebadi, sister of Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, Mansoureh Shjoaee, women' rights activist, Mohammadjavad Saberi, journalist, Nasrin Vaziri, journalist, Keyvan Mehregan, journalist, Badr al-Sadat Mofidi, secretary of the Journalist Asociation.

  • Mohammadjavad Mozaffar, Kavir Publications director, is arrested.

  • Morteza Kazemian, women's rights activist, is arrested.

  • Arrested student activists include Mostafa Hosseinzadeh, Amir Ramezani, Mousa Jalalikhah. 25 students were arrested in Mashhad and later released, but eight students Hossein Ghabel, Farid Fa'al, Hadi Sajjadi, Ali Mottahari, Mehdi Ja'fari, Arsham Damghani, Mehran Hadashi, Amir Sabetmoghaddam remain imprisoned.

  • Mehdi Gholizadeh, Iran Freedom Movement activist, arrested.

  • According to Emrouz News, the Islamic Republic authorities are preparing the ground for the arrest of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karrubi by publishing statements in which it is written that "the people" want to "arrest the leaders of the discord."

    • Emrouz also reports that Mousavi's arrest in the first instance may be a house arrest because of planning for a sit-in of regime supporters in front of the Mousavi residence.

    • Javan, close to the Revolutionary Guards, indeed urges the public to arrange a sit-in in front of Mir-Hossein Mousavi's office tomorrow, Wednesday, in an act of protest against Mousavi's positions since the election.

    • Rumors of an arrest of Zahra Rahnavard, Mir-Hossein Mousavi's wife.

    • Ali Mousavi, nephew of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, buried in Behesht-e Zahra.

  • Fatemeh Karrubi, wife of Mehdi Karrubi, says that if anything happens to her  family, she will hold the government responsible.

    • Karrubi's son, Hossein, says his father is in a state of "half arrest" since his bodyguards are members of the Law Enforcement Forces and they have more or less forced Mehdi Karrubi to stay at home.

  • Mehdi Kouchakzadeh, parliamentarian, says those against the guardian jurist are "mortad [heretics]" and demands punishment for them accordingly.

• Ahmadreza Radan, Law Enforcement Forces Deputy says the Law Enforcement Forces cars have not attacked the demonstrators in an attempt to hit them, but video footage shows otherwise.

• Esmail Ahmadimoghaddam, Law Enforcement Forces Chief, during a meeting with the press, says the "time of dealing [nicely] with the anarchists is over. After this, the police will deal severely and decisively with anyone who participates in demonstrations. In addition, also the judiciary has intensified its punishments." Nowhere in the world does the police receive a beating from rioters. This emboldens the rioters...From now, the police's methods will get harsher..."

  • On a separate note, Ahmadimoghaddam added that "the trend of [illegal] weapons import into the country has an undesirable tendency. These weapons are mostly imported from Iraq, supported with Western intelligence agencies, and the police has made many arrests...in this regard."

  • "An informed source" discloses to Alef News that "several rioters from Ashouray Day [Sunday] will soon be hanged...they are believed to be members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization."

• Ownership of the Yadegar-e Emam Sport Facility in Tabriz is handed over to Tabriz Tractor Manufacturing Company, owned by the Basij.

Photos of the Day

• Pro-regime rally in Tehran.

• The Shahr-e Kord office of Nasrollah Torabi, a parliamentarian and Mousavi supporter, set ablaze.