Iran News Round Up

Politics

• Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran temporary Friday prayer leader, attacks Ahmadinejad's statements on wearing a tie, and being clean shaven:
  • "Allow me to tell this gentleman [Ahmadinejad] that many grandees and sources of emulation stress about not wearing the tie, including the Supreme Leader whose fatwa is published in the 154th issue of the magazine Nasihat in which he says that wearing the tie or bow tie is not allowed because it is emulation of the combatant non-Muslim culture... His Holiness Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani too has said that the tie or bow tie is the slogan of the infidels and that the Muslims should not use it. Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi too has said that wearing the tie and bow tie in Iran is propagation of alien culture and using them is religiously problematic. Sources of emulation such as Grand Ayatollah Golpayegani, Grand Ayatollah Behjat and Grand Ayatollah Tabrizi too have mentioned the problems according to religious law..."
  • "The Supreme Leader says that shaving the beard is haram. Grand Ayatollah Behjat considers shaving of the beard prohibited. Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani considers cutting of the beard and trimming it - should it be like shaving - as haram and the same fatwa is issued by Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, Grand Ayatollah Sistani and Grand Ayatollah Tabrizi.

Diplomacy

• Foreign Minister Mottaki says Russia’s President Medmedev's statements about Iran's nuclear program are "counterfactual."

Military and Security

• Nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri reaches the Islamic Republic's Interest Office in Washington DC, allegedly fleeing from the CIA which had "kidnapped" him in Saudi Arabia.
• Hossein Salami, Revolutionary Guards deputy, addressing the IRGC commanders:
  • "Today we are witnessing the decline of the empire of the West. We see its effects with our own eyes.  The statements of the Supreme Leader make us hopeful about the result of and the future struggle which we will have with imperialism..."

Trade

• Iran/EU trade reaches 7.3 billion Euro.
• Mehdi Karrubi addresses family members of political prisoners:
  • "We must not give others the excuse and permission to easily sanction Iran by acting in an ignorant and bad way. But of course, I believe that parts of the ruling elites and the Revolutionary Guards desire sanctions because they will make great and astronomic profit because of the sanctions and it is the people who will be harmed."
• Diplomasi-ye Irani interviews Mohammad-Reza Behzadian, former head of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines: 
  • "During the past couple of years and especially after the passage of the first Security Council sanctions against Iran, the point was always made that the sanctions would not have any effect on Iran's economy. But expert analysis made last year showed that 35% of the price of goods in the Iranian market resulted from the sanctions. Under circumstances, when $95 billion is earmarked for imports, it means that because of sanctions we pay $30 billion more for the goods. Therefore, the sanctions do have an effect and impact the price of goods and services in Iran..."
  • "Sanctions also impact exports and similar numbers can be traced..." 
  • "In my opinion, after the fourth resolution of the Security Council with its wording, the bill which passed the United States Congress and also the resolution of the European Union and the resolution they will pass two weeks from now will increase the impact many-fold…."
• Kazem Delkhosh Abatari, economist, says Iranian registered ships will not encounter any problems following foreign insurance companies' unwillingness to insure them since "there are four major insurances companies in Iran ready to do so."

Photo of the Day

·         Cooling off on a Caspian beach