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

Senior officials join Supreme Leader in urging elites to clarify stance; Parliament Speaker Larijani describes U.S. slogan of change as ‘act of deception’; Iranian military chief slams statements by U.S. commanders on attacking Iran; Tehran limits cash transactions to fight money laundering; Russia confirms launch of Iran’s first nuclear plant in 2010; China, Russia urge diplomacy to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue

Politics

• Moetalefeh General-Secretary Habibollah Asgarowladi: "The heads of the discord are not in a position to set conditions for the regime. They must believe in and confess to their own mistakes and distance themselves from the enemies of the regime...We are not in a situation where some elites should want to evade the responsibility of defending the regime by making ambiguous statements. The people are monitoring all their positions. If they believe that following the advice of the Leadership is the way of solving the current situation, why do they make suggestions outside those solutions? What is the meaning of this?"

• Friday Prayer sermons:

  • Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s temporary Friday Prayer Leader: "The Supreme Leader has demanded that the elites express their positions in a clear way...Today we have two fundamental fronts. One is the front of the revolution, and the other is the front of the counterrevolution...The front of the counterrevolution is being directed by the United States, Britain, the Mossad spy agency, and those who have been slapped in the face by this nation, such as the monarchists and refugee dancers. Of course, one must say that the majority of our people are in the front of the Revolution...Today there are people who say we are with the Islamic regime, but we are critical of and we are protesters. This group must voice their opposition within the framework of the constitution...This group is not the same thing as those who want to topple the regime...To them we are saying: There is no third way. If you are with the revolution, define your lines with the enemies of the revolution...The protests are counter to the Sharia, since the regime is the greatest necessity of all and because such protests are to the delight of the enemy, despite not harming the Islamic revolution...These gentlemen should know that one can't prolong the protests for four years and harm the national interest. These dear ones must know that if they want this country to prevail they must work within the law and they must part ways with the enemies. If they do not distance themselves from the enemy, the Iranian nation, led by the Supreme Leader, will continue its path and you will be the losers...Making ambiguous statements ignites the fire of discord."

  • Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Saveh: "We must abstain from marginalizing individuals. And the individuals must clarify their boundaries with the counter-revolutionaries and those who act against national interests."

  • Qom Friday Prayer Leader Hojjat al-Eslam Mohammad Saidi: "Men of learning must also be men of action...As the Supreme Leader of the Revolution has stressed, the elites must express their positions in a clear way. Sometimes unclear statements and ambiguous talks ignite the fire of discord..."

  • Bushehr Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Gholamali Safayi Bushehri: "Most countries have sent aid to the victims of earthquake, but rather than sending aid, the United States has deployed fifty thousand troops to arrest the government of this country."

Diplomacy

• Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani addressing the Friday Prayer in Saveh: "This slogan of change by the Americans is another act of deception. Today, the Americans, both in domestic issues and in international affairs, make the same kind of trouble for the Iranian nation as before. Their words have changed, but in their deeds we don't see any change...There was no reason to be pessimistic. Obama's performance during the last year shows that no change has taken place in the behavior of the United States in Iraq, Afghanistan or Palestine...That is also true of the nuclear issue. The American have not demonstrated any change in their behavior...They believed they could contribute to and fuel internal conflicts so they could instigate enmity between Shi'as and Sunnis in the world...We know that they are trying yet again to start the Shi'a versus Sunni fight so they can impose greater pressure from within and outside upon Iran..."

• Tourism and Cultural Heritage Organization Director Hamid Baghayi refutes reports that he has shaken hands with his Israeli counterpart and that he has invited him to visit Iran.

• [E] Iranian envoy to Iraq has urged further talks to resolve border disputes between the two countries.

• [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Guyanese counterpart on Thursday signed two memoranda of understanding to boost mutual cooperation.  

Military and Security

• Ahmadinejad appoints Chief of the General Staff Firouzabadi, Defense minister Vahidi, Interior Minister Najjar, Higher Education Minister Daneshjou, Deputy Plan Chief of the President Azizi, and Davoud Ahmadinejad as his special representatives to the Secretary General of the Passive Defense Permanent Committee.

• Chief of the General Staff Firouzabadi: "Despite the statements by the U.S. commanders in the region that a military showdown with Iran is very dangerous and makes the entire region unsafe for the United States, they still make unseasoned statements with regard to Iran's plants for peaceful nuclear energy. Some of them make careful statements, but such statements are less informed...It is only natural that a military commander should, prior to making statements on sensitive issues, consult with experts at his headquarters...Statements made by politicians may not entail a greater cost, but one does not expect emotional and unseasoned statements."

• The Revolutionary Guards Cooperatives defends its purchase of shares of Iranian car manufacturing companies.

Economy

• As the first step in the fight against money laundering, the Iranian authorities prohibit financial institutions to perform transactions above 150 million rials.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Javan Online releases an interview with "an informed source" who says the Bahai community in Iran is spreading propaganda refuting existence of the Imam of the Era, and also publishes the works of Iranian historian Ahmad Kasravi.

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Head of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko has reiterated that his country will launch Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant in 2010. "All the work is going as scheduled. The tests are a success. This year will be the year of the launch of Bushehr," AFP quoted Kiriyenko as saying on Thursday.

•  [E] Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said on Thursday that Iran's nuclear issue should be resolved through diplomatic means.

  • [E] Russia on Friday joined China in calling for more diplomacy on Iran, warning against imposing fresh sanctions against the country's nuclear energy section for delays over a fuel exchange deal. "If our logic is to punish Iran, or if we take up the posture of the offended ... this will not be a sober approach," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.

Photo of the Day

• Health minister vaccinates the children.