Iran News Round Up

Politics

• Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi addressing commanders of the Revolutionary Guards at Imam Hossein University warns that the discord against the Islamic regime has not ended yet and may resurface as long as a government supported by the Imam of the Era governs Iran. Link upon request. 
• Hadi Khamenei, brother of the Supreme Leader, says "reform is born alongside the revolution and is an inseparable part of it."
• Hojjat al-Eslam Sagha-ye Biria, a student of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and Ahmadinejad's adviser in clerical affairs, says he had presented his resignation to Ahmadinejad, but that Ahmadinejad had not accepted it.
• Former Revolutionary Guards' Minister Mohsen Rafiqdust:
  • "I have always been and I am still one of the greatest opponents of televised debates…”
  • "The day after Mr. Khatami's electoral victory I sent him the message that many of those voting for you did not vote for you, they voted against Mr. Nateq [Nouri]. Therefore, you should not think you have won big... I also told Mir-Hossein [Mousavi], don't think all this vote is yours..."
  • "The body of the nation is with the Leadership and those moving against its direction can for some time dominate the arena but must desert it eventually... Even during the era of the Imam [Khomeini], there were political divisions. Behzad Nabavi for example was against the Imam declaring Salman Rushdie as an infidel..."
  • "When it comes to Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani], I don't see anyone as his equal as adviser to the Supreme Leader..."
  • "The only difference of opinion between Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] and the Leader is the issue of Mr. Ahmadineajd and Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] believes Mr. Ahmadinejad is not suitable for presidency..."
  • "Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] has told me that he really wants to [leave politics and] go to Qom, but he [the Supreme Leader] would not allow him..."
• [E] After ordering the allocation of $2 billion to the Tehran metro project, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says all executive bodies must enforce the new legislation.

Diplomacy

• [E] Iran's envoy to Ukraine and Ukrainian provincial officials discussed ways to boost industrial cooperation.
• [E] Iran is considering a ban on tourist trips to the United Arab Emirates in reaction to the “mistreatment” of Iranian nationals at entry and exit points by the Persian Gulf country, a senior Iranian official announced Saturday.
• [E] Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed his interest to visit Iran “as soon as possible.”

Military and Security

• Ahmadinejad addresses "the Iranian youth" warns of "plans of the enemy to attack Iran's friends.” Link upon request.
• Revolutionary Guards Chief Ja'fari: "The Iranian people have already condemned the heads of the discord, but the legal prosecution will begin whenever it is expedient."
• Deputy head of the  IRGC Hossein Salami:
  • "Our deterrence is beyond imagination of the world. In the field of ballistic missiles, we have reached the level of quantitative infinity, meaning that our production line is very smooth and acts completely upon our national talent. In the field of air defense system, we have had extraordinary advances. Our impact on security of the Persian Gulf region, the Strait of Hormuz and even the free waters has increased significantly. This means that our maritime and defense capabilities fundamentally have no restrictions. The number of military vessels we can deploy in the theater is the same thing. This means that we have shut all the doors to military action."
• Former IRGC Navy Chief Morteza Saffari:
  • "We thank God for providing us with more than 100 foreign ships as snacks for us in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman..."
  • "For every warship, we have more than 100 boats which will attack them when the time is ripe..."
  • "Should the enemy desire to [inspect Iranian ships], we would not care under what flag the ship is sailing. Should any country inspect our ships, it should know that in the Persian Gulf, they have many commercial dependencies and in this case we will most certainly retaliate and we will go after any ship with their flag since we consider the [United Nations Security Council] Resolution an irrational Resolution and a bullying Resolution."
• Former Revolutionary Guards chief Yahya Rahim Safavi says the next war against Iran will be "sea and airborne" and Iran "will not face a ground invasion."
• [E] Turkey's Acting Deputy Interior Minister is expected in Tehran today at the head of a delegation to participate in an Iran-Turkey security meeting.
• [E] A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced Sunday that Iran is capable of mass-producing its home-made ballistic missiles.

Nuclear Issue

• Foreign Minister Mottaki says the Islamic Republic has prepared a formal answer to the Vienna Group.

·         [E] Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi: “Iran's nuclear activities are progressing well and we are not concerned at all….The rapidity or slowness of Iran's nuclear activities is determined by the scientific and technical decisions that we take within the country and we never analyze such issues through media."

• [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met his Turkish and Brazilian counterparts in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sunday to discuss nuclear fuel swap.
  • [E] Mottaki voiced Iran's readiness to hold technical talks on the issue.
• [E] Chinese Foreign Minister: “China continues on the path of negotiations [over the nuclear issue].”

Economy

• Hossein Hashemi, parliamentary Industry and Mines Committee chairman says maintaining the managers in their positions after privatization of state owned businesses is against the spirit of the Article 44 of the Constitution.
• Parliamentarian Mohammad-Reza Khabaz, says the biggest problem concerning the privatization efforts is transfer of ownership of state-owned businesses to the "semi-governmental sector."
• 60 parliamentarians write a letter of support for the IRGC-owned Middle East Tidewater Company's activities at Iranian ports.
• Abd al-Reza Torabi, parliamentarian, demands that the government begins the reform of the subsidies program in October 2010.
• [E] The Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) will issue $500 million in bonds by August 21 to finance the development of the South Pars gas field.
  • [E] Managing Director of the POGC says that investment in Iran's South Pars gas field has increased by 120% in the current Persian calendar year (since March).

Trade

• Behrouz Ali-Shiri, Foreign Direct Investments bureau director, says the global financial crisis has helped Iran attract Foreign Direct Investments.
• According to Kayhan, six foreign banks are finalizing contracts to start operations in Iran.
•  According to Kayhan, reports of the freezing of 41 Iranian companies’ assets in United Arab Emirates were a "lie."
• Abrar-e Eghtesadi reports $3 billion decrease in Iran's cash deposits in foreign banks.
• [E] Tehran and Ankara signed a one-billion-euro deal on the construction of a 410mi pipeline to transfer Iran's gas supplies to Europe via Turkey.  The pipeline will enable Iran to export 50 to 60 million cubic meters of gas per day and is expected to be constructed within three years.
• [E] Iranian Minister of Agriculture announced that the country's agricultural exports have grown by 40% during the past 10 months.
• [E] Central Bank of Iran (CBI) deputy: "Iran will withdraw its assets from the markets of any country that place restrictions on Iranian assets….This is a completely natural and logical course of action."
• [E] Iran is set to resume natural gas exports to Turkey on Tuesday if no further technical problems arise.
• [E] Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow: "Iran has a vital place in the expansion and development of international fuel and energy cooperation which is a strategic sector of this country [Turkmenistan] and is of special importance.”

Iran in the Afghan Media

·         Iranian border guards kill Afghan citizens. (Current news stories are only available to Pajhwok subscribers, but will be available the next day.)

·         Iran has begun registration of Afghans living in the country.

Photos of the Day

• Tehran Mayor Qalibaf in Hanover.