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

Politics

• Official slogans for February 11, 2010 Revolution Day rallies: "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."
  • Emruz reports installation of loud speakers on demonstration routes which will be used during the Revolution Day rallies and argues the loud speakers serve the purpose of silencing regime protesters.
  • Mir-Hossein Mousavi urges the public to take part in Revolution Day rallies but urges his followers to "preserve our [green] identity."
  • Supreme Leader Khamenei addresses officers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army's Air Force: "Whenever the great masses of the people - all over Iran - feel danger or serious enmity towards the revolution, they go to the streets without being called upon...Of course, ever since the beginning of the victory of the Islamic revolution, there were some who were opposed to this regime and desired return to hegemony of the United States. Today they are both inside and outside the country. There are also some who have been wounded by the revolution, the mercenaries of the regime of the revolt against God who still have the 30-year-old hatred and will have it in the future. There are also some who are fundamentally against the rule of Islam and Islamic theology... But they only constitute a small group in the face of the great nation of Iran which despite some differences of political opinion, is united in the path of Islam and execution of divine law...Thanks God the Iranian nation will demonstrate its unity of slogans and solidarity on February 11, 2010 which like before will leave all the oppressors including the United States, Britain and the Zionists stupefied..."
• Hasan Khomeini, grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, sends an open letter to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting in which he criticizes Iranian Television for taking his grandfather's statements out of the context to present a picture of him to the public as unmerciful.
  • Kayhan editorial attacks Hasan Khomeini: "What exact part of this issue has been a source of your concern? The heads of the discord being scandalized? Is it awakening and awareness of the third and fourth generations of the revolution and their following the clear path of His Holiness the Imam [Khomeini]? Is it repetition of the heavenly and problem solving views of His Holiness? If none of these issues has been a source of your concern - which they should not - what is the reason for your concern? The program which has been welcomed vastly by the public reflects clear viewpoints of His Holiness the late Imam about the crimes of the United States and Israel, betrayal of terrorist groups such as the Monafeghin, dependence of Bahaism on the Zionist regime, the [Iran] Freedom Movement and [Abol-Hassan] Bani-Sadr being American, the affair of Ayatollah Montazeri which must serve as a warning, the crimes of Mehdi Hashemi, the necessity of being skeptical about foreign support to individuals and political groups...Which part of such statements of the Imam...are in your view problematic?"
  • Zarghami, Islamic Republic of Iran Voice and Vision chief, answering Hojjat al-Eslam Hassan Khomeini's open letter wonder if Hassan Khomeini had made similar criticism during the "era of reform," a reference to presidency of Mohammad Khatami.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Montazeri, son of the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, says "the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting has badmouthed the Grand Ayatollah for more than twenty years...not once has the Montazeri household been allowed to defend itself..."

Diplomacy

• Supreme Leader Khamenei receives Islamic Jihad General Secretary Ramezan Abdullah: "I am very optimistic about the future of Palestine and I believe Israel is moving down hill and is fast moving towards abyss. God willing its annihilation will be certain..."
• Mohammad-Javad Larijani in an interview with ILNA:
  • "In one of the newspapers I wrote an article arguing that keeping the American hostages for 444 days was contrary to our national interests and the government should not get entangled in this issue. This is how the government became a hostage taker. As soon as this piece was released tens of articles were published in Salam where I was accused of being American. They could have opposed my argument. Therefore, bad behavior can be found in the two camps..."

Military and Security

• Ayatollah Javadi Amoli addressing a group of Basij and Revolutionary Guards commanders says anyone who engages in revolt at Revolution Day rallies has committed a religiously prohibited act.
  • Firouz-Abadi, Chief of the General Staff, issues his own statement on the occasion of the Revolution Day festivities.
• The Islamic Republic of Iran Army's Air Force test flies "Sofreh Mahi" stealth fighter.
• The parliament discusses tasking the Law Enforcement Forces to control Iran's international borders.
• The Law Enforcement Forces express readiness to guarantee security for the 31st anniversary of the Revolution commemorations.
• Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani says "the illusion of instigating color or velvet revolutions does not disturb decisiveness of the Iranian nation..." Larijani also stressed that "the Judiciary will deal decisively with those who desire to plant discord among the impenetrable lines of the nation..."
• Sobh-e Sadegh publishes an interview with Ahmad Abdollahzadeh, former Revolutionary Guards Counter Espionage Chief, who discusses formation of his unit during the revolution and war.

Human Rights

• A parliamentary investigations committee member says Judge Mortazavi is to blame for suspicious death of political prisoners at Kahrizak Detention Center.

Media

• The Intelligence Ministry reports arrest of seven individuals allegedly cooperating with Radio Farda.
• Rah-e Saz reports a new wave of arrest of journalists prior to the February 11, 2010 Revolution Day festivities: Ahmad Jalali Farahani, Mehr News Agency, Akbar Montajabi, Mizan Khabar, Zeinab Kazemkhah, Sommayeh Mo'emeni, and Mahsa Jozini are three women rights reporters arrested by the Islamic Republic authorities.

Nuclear Issue

• Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh, the Islamic Republic's Permanent Representative to the IAEA, says Iran has in an official letter informed the IAEA of its intentions to begin enrichment of uranium up to 20 percent in order to secure nuclear fuel for Tehran research reactor. Soltaniyeh also said the letter had asked IAEA inspectors to supervise the enrichment process.
• Mohammad-Reza Tabesh, reformist theoretician, accuses Ahmadinejad of selling out of Iran's nuclear achievements to the West.
• Ahmadinejad orders Iran's Nuclear Energy Organization to begin producing 20 percent enriched uranium to cover Iran's nuclear needs, but Ahmadinejad also adds "If the Western countries desire to start their engagements without preconditions the path is still open."
• Ali-Akbar Salehi, Iran Nuclear Energy Organization director, corrects Ahmadinejad's statements:
  • "With regard to twenty percent enrichment, the President gave us the order to be prepared meaning that there is not much time for swapping fuel and if they [the Westerners] do not engage fast we will have to be prepared for twenty percent enrichment..."
  • "Exchange of fuel does not mean that we are incapable of producing fuel domestically, but we desired to remake confrontation into engagement in order to create a face saving formula for them [the Westerners] because they wanted to abandon this issue..."
  • "Some optimism has surfaced in the negotiations because some countries are making rational proposals, but there is not much time and should they want to couple the proposals with irrational preconditions we have to enter this arena [of twenty percent uranium enrichment.]..."
  • "Some Asian and European countries have given some proposals which we are considering..."
• Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Iran's position has not changed with regard to the issue of exchange of fuel and "if the counterpart is ready to engage in exchange, one can negotiate about the details."

Economy

• Central Bank Director General Mahmoud Bahmani says removing three zeroes from the rial is not yet necessary.
• Mohammad-Reza Farzin, spokesman of the economic reform scheme working group, says due to some problems there will be no cash handout during the first year of the reform of the subsidies system.
• Parsineh reports chaos at Martyr Rajai Port.

Photos of the Day

• Ahmadinejad visits laser facilities.
• Supreme Leader Khamenei at the age of ten.