Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Katherine Faley, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin.  To subscribe to this daily newsletter, e-mail [email protected].

(E) = Article in English

Ahmadinejad’s inauguration scheduled for August 3; Rafsanjani urges Supreme Leader to find solution to current turmoil in country; Ahmadinejad attacked for ‘not obeying Supreme Leader’; cleric says Supreme Leader’s authority not divine, rests upon popular legitimacy; Iranian clerics split over definition of legitimacy in Islamic Republic; new swine flu cases reported in Iran; IRGC deputy chief assails of BBC, VOA Persian services for inciting violence in Iran

Politics

• Sadegh Mahsouli, Interior Minister: "If any fraud has taken place in the election, it has been to the benefit of those protesting today!"
  • Presidential advisor Mehdi Kalhor claims "six million Ahmadinejad votes were annulled due to electoral fraud!"
• Karrubi and Mousavi will go to Tehran's largest cemetery on July 30 to commemorate the 40th day of martyrdom of people killed in recent clashes. So will Grand Ayatollah Sanei.
• Ahmadinejad's next term as president to be formally recognized by the Supreme Leader on August 3, 2009.
• Hamid Ansari, Deputy Head of the Foundation for Preservation of the Works of His Blessed Holiness Imam Khomeini refutes rumors of Hassan Khomeini having traveled to Paris in protest against formal recognition of Ahmadinejad's presidency.
  • Iran demands to know if Hassan Khomeini is in Paris or in Iran. [Link upon request].
  • Rumors that Hassan Khomeini is in Pakistan.
• Speaking at Quran Recitation Seminar, Supreme Leader Khamenei calls for unity despite differences of opinion.
• Rafsanjani urges the Supreme Leader to solve the crisis "based upon his own experience."
• Tabnak's speculation about Ahmadinejad's new cabinet says the circle of Ahmadineajd's associates from the time he served as Ardebil General Governor will be appointed as cabinet ministers and claims Nikzad, current Deputy Interior Minister, Rahim-Ghorbani, current Governor General in West Azerbaijan province, Mahmouad Abbas-Zadeh Meshkini, current Interior Ministry Director General, Fath-Allahi, Political Deputy of the Presidency are individuals of preference.
• Iran quotes a certain Amir Ahmadinejad who is presented as the brother of the President for urging the people to pray to God so he protects the President against "discord."
• Ahmadinejad's media advisor Ali-Akbar Javanfekr attacks the executive style of ousted Intelligence and Security Minister Ezheh-i.
• Islamic Association of Engineers attacks Ahmadinejad for not obeying the Supreme Leader.
• Ayatollah Hashem Hashemzadeh Harisi, member of Assembly of Experts, in a sensational statement claims the open letter to Rafsanjani, which was released to the public in the name of a majority of the Assembly of Experts, is not signed by the members of the Assembly and does not reflect the opinion of the majority of the Assembly. Harisi also stresses that the Supreme Leader's authority is not divine, but rests upon popular legitimacy. 
  • Mohsen Armin, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution spokesman, condemns Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, Guardian Council Secretary's attacks against Rafsanjani. Armin also attacks Yazdi's understanding of the concept of sovereignty in Shi'a Islam: "How many sources of emulation have expressed views with regard to the issue of sovereignty in the regime of the Islamic Republic since you claim there is unanimity among Shi'a scholars? If what you mean by the Islamic Republic of Iran regime is an absolute religious government, based upon what documentation do you claim that all Islamic scholars consider God the source of legitimacy of an Islamic government and distinguish between acceptance and legitimacy…?"
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Ghaem-Maghami says the issue of Rafsanjani is not finished yet since he has questioned the authority of the Guardian Jurist. Link upon request.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Kazem Mir-Hosseini Eshkevari, Rasht temporary Friday Prayer leader demands an investigation into the affairs of the children of Rafsanjani, also stresses that he for some time has suspected Rafsanjani of deviating from the path of Khomeini. Link upon request.
  • Raja News Agency discloses the names of 306 theologians who allegedly have signed a letter of support to Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, Guardian Council Secretary who has attacked Rafsanjani. Link upon request.
• Commemoration of the son of Abd al-Hossein Rouh al-Amini, a former advisor to Mohsen Rezai, who died under torture while imprisoned, took place at the private home of Mohsen Rezai featuring Ayatollah Rasti, former Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani and former Revolutionary Guards Joint Command Council Chief Hossein Alaei.
• Mashallah Shams al-Vaezin says Ahmadinejad lacks mental balance for presidency.
• (E) Iraj Nadimi, the Advisor to the Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs, identified Ali Saeedlou, Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh, and Mohammad-Reza Rahimi as potential candidates for the position of first vice president and stated that the Majlis endorses Rouhollah Hosseinian as Intelligence Minister.
• (E) Abdul-Hossein Ruholamini, whose son protested the election and died in prison after his arrest, stated: “It is our unwavering belief that hopefully the blood of our innocent, martyred Mohsen would open up a path to untie some of the recent social and political knots and resolve mismanagement problems -- whether originating from individual or systematic sources.”

Media

• Islamic Republic of Iran Voice and Vision broadcasts a program which criticizes Ahmadinejad for not obeying the orders of the Supreme Leader and for maintaining Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei in his position as First Vice President six days after Khamenei's letter to Ahmadinejad.
• Ya Lesarat al-Hossein, mouthpiece of the Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilante organization, attacks Ahmadinejad's devotion towards Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei.

Religion, Society, and Culture

• (E) The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education reported eight new cases of swine flu in Iran, bringing the total to fifty since the virus’ outbreak. 
• (E) The multimedia exhibit Dissolving showcases modern works of art which explore “the universal theme of losing identity under autocratic domination and the search for identity in the contemporary Iranian society.”
• (E) President Ahmadinejad and Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Saffar-Harandi mourned the death of famous Iranian filmmaker and screenwriter Seifollah Daad.

Trade

• Tabnak News reports that American apples are to be found in the Iranian market for sale.
• According to Tabnak, Turkish customs confiscated $7.5 billion cash capital of an Iranian merchant called Esmail Saffarian Nasab and a trailer with 20 tons of gold last October. According to Tabnak the cash and the gold amounts to $18.5 billion.
• (E) Iraqi and Iranian businessmen approved a memorandum of understanding in order to bolster mutual trade cooperation, of which an Iraqi official stated: “Due to the good relations between Iran and Iraq, we will convey the current issues regarding exportation of goods through Mehran international border to the Iraqi Ministry of Commerce and Finance."

Economy

• (E) The Iranian Money and Credit Council bailed out carmaker Iran Khodro Company with one billion dollars in credit.

Military and Security

• Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi, Representative of the Supreme Leader in the Revolutionary Guards urges Rafsanjani to disown his children who are "the main leaders of the recent unrest."
• Hejazi, Revolutionary Guards Deputy Commander in Chief, accuses BBC Persian and Voice of America Persian of instigating unrest in Iran by urging the people to use their electrical devices at the time of transmission of formal appointment of Ahmadinejad as President of the Republic.
• Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Salek who is rumored to have taken an important position in the parallel security structures of the Islamic Republic says the Islamic Republic will never allow those "involved in disruption of tranquility of the public and those directing the unrests not to be punished." Link upon request.
• Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament, says following the attack of the Iraqi government against Mojahedin-e Khalq's Camp Ashraf in Iraq "one will witness a new round of Tehran/Baghdad relations" and adds the Mojahedin-e Khalq members' next destination could be Pakistan.

Human Rights and Labor

• Balatarin website releases stories about the now allegedly closed detention center in Kahrizak.
  • So does Mowj-e Sabz.
• Imprisoned veteran politician Behzad Nabavi talks with his wife on the phone.
• Fars News Agency claims Neda Agha-Soltan, the young girl whose killing at the hands of the Basij was caught on film, is alive.
  • Commander Abdollah Eraghi, the Revolutionary Guards Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Army Chief of Greater Tehran on the other hand claims the murder of Neda-Agha Soltan was a planned act and not the deed of the Basij, the Revolutionary Guards or the Law Enforcement Forces. Link upon request.
• Said Hajjarian to be released from prison today.
• Sohrab A'rabi's mother tells her tale about the killing of her son in the hands of the security forces: Here and here.
• Economist Fariborz Reis-Dana and others arrested on the occasion of commemoration of the poet Ahmad Shamlou.
• (E) After speaking with Parliament about the political prisoners, Kazem Jalali stated, “the judiciary has announced that it has enough evidence to show that these individuals [200 “non-political” prisoners] played a central role in the recent unrest,” adding that the 50 political prisoners were recently transferred to the Evin prison.

Diplomacy

• (E) In partnership with the local Ansar Charity Institute, Iran’s Martyrs Foundation is working to rebuild homes in Gaza.

Photo of the Day

• Commemoration of Mohsen Rouh al-Amini in the home of Mohsen Rezai.
• Monkeys at the entrance of the Hera Cave, the place of the first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad.