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 hails democracy in Iran; senior cleric refutes rumors on Assembly of Experts’ meeting to discuss leadership; Guardian Council to publish detailed report on disputed elections; Supreme Leader’s advisor downplays Israel’s threats to attack Iran; reformist political party condemns arrest of political activists; IRGC chief vows to foil enemy plots

Politics

• Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran Temporary Friday Prayer Leader, refutes rumors on attempts to convene Assembly of Experts to discuss leadership issues.
• Mohammad Emami Kashani leads this Friday's prayers in Tehran; Rafsanjani absent for fourth consecutive Friday in a row.
• Ahmadinejad addresses the nation on live television: Video. 
  • "This election was the freest election in the entire world for the candidates, their associates and the Iranian nation...This election is a new beginning for Iran and for the world...Many colleagues and presidents of the countries of the world in their phone calls of congratulations to me stressed two issues. First, the level of democracy demonstrated by the Iranian nation was without parallel and was a role model for the entire world. Second, the election of the Iranian nation will be a source of great transformation in the region and the world... The composition of the government must change according to the needs of today... Imperialist enemies wanted to meddle in our internal affairs...They wanted to decrease our capacity for presence in the international arena. They did bad things and some of our people were damaged, and some of them unfortunately also collaborated [with foreigners.]...I thank the Imam of the Era for all the guidance and his special benevolence towards the people of Iran...From God I beg for an ever sooner world revolution of the Imam of the Era." 
• Mosharekat [Participation] Front strongly condemns recent arrest of political activists: "During the past three weeks and since a day after the tenth presidential election we have witnessed arrest of an expansive number of political activists, journalists, students and regular people who share nothing but their support for reformist candidates. This happens despite the Point 32 of the Constitution...None of those arrested has been subjected to normal legal proceedings and based on information and released news they are more subjected to hostage taking rather than arrest. Unfortunately this is a scenario which opponents of reforms and following losing hope winning public support started..." 
• (E) The Guardian Council will publish an 80-page report on the presidential elections, clarifying “details of complaints about the election and the results of the Guardian Council reviews.”

Diplomacy  

• According to Jam-e Jam,Obama told CNN that the United States is opposed to any attack against Iran.
• According to Jam-e Jam, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has "retreated" from earlier positions and has said that "result of presidential election in Iran is an Iranian issue unrelated with foreign powers." 
• (E) The United States has released five Iranian diplomats to Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki and will be transferred to the Iranian Embassy.
• (E) Iran condemned the murder of a veiled Egyptian woman in Germany, calling it a “terrorist act.”
• (E) The French Foreign Ministry stated that Clotilde Reiss, currently in Iran’s Evin prison for charges of espionage, has been “interrogated, but not ill-treated.”

Human Rights and Labor

• Tabnak News Agency says seven arrested Bahais have confessed to being terrorists. 

Military and Security

• Ahmadi-Moghaddam, Law Enforcement Forces chief, explains his views on the post election events on television. Video. 
• Ahmadi-Moghaddam says he does not expect demonstrations in commemoration of the 1999 student uprisings.
• Yadollah Javani, IRGC Political Department Chief, editorializes (and here) in Sobh-e Sadegh, mouthpiece of the Revolutionary Guards:
  • "Dream of a velvet revolution in Iran not only failed to turn out the way the dreamers wanted it, but it was foiled and annulled and has become history for ever. Soft regime toppling in the style of velvet revolutions experienced in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan was the last arrow in the inventory of the Westerners in order to achieve the hopes and aspirations they have nurtured for the past thirty years and even from the very first moment it released the bow it hit a hard stone and fell upon themselves.
  • When presenting the $75 million budget to the Congress in order to promote democracy in Iran and support proponents of human rights in Iran, Ms.  Rice said: 'With a soft regime topping beginning in Poland and by the help of the Solidarity movement well behind the borders of Russia we managed to organize color revolutions, toppled ruling regimes and brought about democratic regimes as desired by the United States to power. The only way of changing the regime in Iran is use of the very same experience.'
  • What catches the eyes during the tenth presidential election and made some trouble for the Islamic regime and the Muslim and revolutionary people of Iran for a few days, was the result of an intensive and years long effort of two movements, one outside and one domestic to change the religious regime evolving around the Guardianship of the Jurist. This has been totally defeated and in reality, thanks to vigilance of the people, this movement was suffocated in vitrio.
  • Despite the fact that post election events affected the sweetness of the epic of glorious 40 million strong presence of the people in elections to some degree and soured the mouth of the people, one must consider this event among the greatest of divine blessings… By disclosing the face of the new discord, the Islamic revolution has soundly passed through a great danger and with the deep knowledge that the vigilant and Supreme Leader-abiding people of Iran have about the political parties and groupings and the soft threats and the nature of the cultural NATO of the West and methods of soft regime toppling, especially the model of color revolution, one must say that the Islamic Revolution has been guaranteed for at least twenty years, as the following proofs suggest: 

1. The people of Iran are now fully informed about the characteristics of a color revolution. 
2. The schemes of the true liars and those who wanted to fool the people - both political parties and groupings, but also political personalities appearing in the garbs of political elites and had even advanced to the level of presidential candidates - were disclosed for the public.
3. The new hypocrites of the Islamic society were unmasked.
4. The bond between a domestic movement with roots in the revolution and the foreigners became visible. 
5. The true nature of the Obama administration which tried to fool the Iranian nation with the slogan of change was disclosed to all the people and all the religious and political elites.
6. Among the Principalists, the serving and sincere became known, and those opportunists claiming Principalism were outed.
7. Individuals and political movements not committed to the Constitution and the Guardianship of the Jurist became fully known to the people and the Guardian Council must in all future elections take their positions during the recent events into consideration prior to qualification for future elections. In other words, finally, the time when individuals uncommitted to the Islamic regime, the Constitution and the Guardianship of the Jurist could enter the arena of electoral rivalry and achieve political power has ended. This is important issue must be considered as one of the valuable achievements of seemingly bitter events of the recent past."

• Wives and family members of imprisoned political personalities say, contrary to Fars News Agency's reports, they have had no contact with the inmates. 
• (E) Foreign Affairs Adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei called Israeli’s threats to attack Iran a “vain propaganda campaign.”

Nuclear Issue

• (E) The EU upheld its decision to freeze the assets of Iran’s Melli Bank, calling the measure “necessary and appropriate” in order to penalize the company for “engaging in nuclear proliferation.”

Religion, Society and Culture

• (E) Iranian writer Mehdi Azar-Yazdi, known for his children stories, died at the age of 87 on Thursday.

Photo of the Day

• Cabinet meeting in Tehran.