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

Ahmadinejad wins election, holds victory celebration, and addresses nation; Khamenei congratulates Ahmadinejad; Mousavi warns of irregularities on election day and promises not to surrender; BBC Persian wonders how Ahmadinejad won strong majorities even in his rivals' hometowns; Shahab News says 4 million Mousavi votes were not recorded due to a voting form shortage; Mousavi, Khatami, and Karrubi meet at Rafsanjani's home; Mousavi supporters clash with police in Tehran; Mousavi and Karrubi headquarters across Iran raided by police; reformist papers' websites blocked and SMS service interrupted; and car traffic and honking banned in Tehran.

Presidential election results, final

• 39,165,191 votes cast, Ahmadinejad: 24,527,516 (62.63 percent), Mousavi: 13,216,411 (33.75 percent), Rezai: 678.240 (1,73 percent), Mehdi Karrubi: 333,635 (0.85 percent), Invalid votes: 409,389 (1.04 percent).

• Fars News Agency reports a record-high 85 percent election participation. 

• According to Jahan News, 1122 voters in the village of Bahreman – Rafsanjani’s birthplace - vote for Ahmadinejad while only 730 vote for Mousavi. 

• Iran News Agency says a recount of the vote has decreased Rezai's vote. 

Aftermath of the presidential election: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

• Agah-Sazi claims Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's congratulations to Ahmadinejad is a forgery and demands to see televised pictures of Khamenei delivering the message to the public. 

Aftermath of the presidential election: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

• Ahmadinejad's televised address to the nation invites the public to take part in celebration of his victory at Azadi Square in Tehran on Sunday. 

Aftermath of the presidential election: Mir-Hossein Mousavi

• Mousavi writes an open letter to sources of emulation: "...no one imagined this degree of forgery in popular vote right in front of the bewildered world opinion conducted by a government which claims to rest upon justice of the religious law...some elements armed with sticks...are using false excuses to attack members of my election headquarters and those bewildered members of the public visiting the headquarters. There is little hope that the honorable Judiciary, which was not even capable of preventing the dominating candidate to be granted an extra televised address can do anything to stop this black violence. As a part of my duty to guard the popular vote, which has been harmed so greatly, I write to you and beg you hoping that your advice to the authorities may prove effective." 

• Association of the Self Sacrificers of the Islamic Revolution in an open letter to Mousavi: "After the glorious presence of the great Iranian nation in the June 12 election and recording of their historically record high 85 percent participation, we are witnessing bitter and provocative postures from you...Despite the fact that all supervisory institutions have approved of the first round of the elections, non-recognition of the result is a sign of non-abiding by the rules of democracy and politics and lack of love towards the noble and magnanimous nation which has served the Islamic revolution for the past thirty years and created the national epic of June 12th...All legal channels are open to attend to protests of the candidates against any phase of the execution of the elections and you accepted the framework before entering the race and your representatives have been present at all the voting stations. What religious, rational and legal reasons are there to - rather than pursuing the legal channels of documented protest - making undocumented accusations against authorities of the country for involvement in fraud, lying and treason...and provoke to revolt?" 

• The Mousavi campaign urges the people to remain calm. 

• Ali-Akbar Mohtashami-Pour, once Khomeini's representative among the hostage takers at the American Embassy in Tehran, now turned reformist, Mousavi supporter, and chief of the committee in defense of the vote, demands, in a letter the Guardian Council, declaration of the election as invalid due to the irregularities. 

Aftermath of the presidential election: Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

• Ansar News Agency, mouthpiece of the Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilante organization, says Rafsanjani and his "attempt at a velvet revolution" in Iran have failed. 

• Expediency Council demands justice for those "suffering trial in absentia" at the televised presidential debates. 

Official reactions of the Supreme Leader and the candidates to the election result

• Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: "In the name of God the compassionate the merciful. Dear nation of Iran! Brave men and women! Greetings of God to you who proofed that you deserve divine peace and blessing. Your epic Friday was astonishing and unparalleled in which the political maturity and the decisive revolutionary face and civic capacities of the Iranian nation was demonstrated in all its beauty and glory in in the face of the entire world. The might and respect which you recorded in the history of the country with calm and dignity and the power of will you showed in the face of psychological warfare of the enemy by being present in this decisive arena is so important that it can't be describe in normal and conventional terms. One can only say that the Iranian nation has managed to preserve the reasons behind divine blessings in itself and continuously preserve the powerful hand of God upon itself. The June 12th election was an artful demonstration of the Iranian nation which created another epic in the long line of national elections. More than eighty percent popular participation and twenty four million votes to the president elect is a true festivity which with divine help guarantees advance and greatness of the country and national security. Yesterday you proved that Iran, thanks to slogans and values of the Islamic revolution, is immune towards political and psychological assault and thirty years since the beginning of religious democracy in this country it is in the arena ever more fresher and vital than before and convinces all, both friends and foes of continuity of its path. I, with humility towards the will and faith of the dear people, congratulate this success to his holiness, the great representative of God the great Imam [Khomeini] and each and every one of the members of the nation and recommend all to show thankfulness and prayers of thanks to God following this divine benevolence. It is expected that the enemies try, through ill wishing provocations, take the sweetness of this event from the mouth of the nation. I urge the entire nation – and especially the dear youth who were the most vibrant creators of this great deed – to remain totally vigilant. Continuously, the day after Saturday must be the day of love and patience. Both supporters of the candidate elect and supporters of other respected candidates should abstain from any provoking and suspicious behavior and discourse. The honorable president-elect is the president of the entire Iranian nation and all, including rivals of yesterday must unanimously support him and help him. Doubtlessly this too is a divine test passing in which will attract more divine blessings. It is my duty to sincerely thank all those involved in creating this epic: The honorable candidates, who through discussion of their political and economic issues and by their words and actions made people of differing inclinations enter the arena, elites and chosen ones who made the public participate in this great test, sources of emulation and great religious scholars and wise people at the universities, cultural and political individuals, the national media and planners and anchormen and artists of the Voice of Vision whose innovations had a decisive effect on this unforgettable event, the Interior Ministry and the honorable Guardian Council which attended its duties with sincerity and trustfulness, the Law Enforcement Forces and other institutions in charge of security who created a healthy, open and calm atmosphere for the people and finally each and every one of the voters who managed to secure dignity and respect and security and stability for their country. Once more I thank the dear and powerful God from the bottom of my life and beg for his guidance and blessing for this small creature of his and greet his holiness the great representative of God may my soul be sacrificed for him and place my faith in prayer and support from the real owners of this country and greet the soul of the blessed Imam [Khomeini] and the pure spirits of the dear martyrs. Seyyed Ali Khamenei, June 13, 2009." 

• Mir-Hossein Mousavi's official statement: "The noble people of Iran! The results announced for the tenth presidential election are stunning. The people who in the long voting lines witnessed composition of the vote know for whom they themselves voted and look with greatest disbelief at the magic done by those in the [ed. Islamic Republic of Iran] Voice and Vision. Now, most of all they want to know how, by whom and which authorities have planned this great game. I, apart from strongly protesting against the process and blatant and many irregularities of the election day, warn that I will not surrender to this dangerous setting. The result of what we have seen from untrustworthy officials will lead to nothing but shaking of the pillars of the sacred regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran and strengthening of the rule of lies and authoritarianism. I consider it my religious and national duty to disclose the secrets behind this dangerous process and will explain its fatal effects on the destiny of the country and fear that continuation of the current state of affairs forces the entire authorities of the regime to defend lies in the face of the people and that their worldly and other worldly existence will be subjected to irreparable damage. I urge the authorities to stop this trend before it is too late and all to return to the line of law and trustworthiness and they should know that exit from justice harms legitimacy. They are more aware of this truth, more than anyone else, that in this country a great and Islamic revolution has taken place. The smallest message of our revolution is that the people are vigilant and will not remain silent towards those who come to power trough fraud. I also use this opportunity to thank the nation for their sentiments and warn them that Iran, this heavenly being belongs to them and not to the charlatans and therefore they should guard it vigilantly. Those who have betrayed the popular vote don't fear that this house of the pious is set ablaze. Our 'Green Wave' of reason is inspired by religious teachings and devotion of our nation to the members of the house hold of the Prophet and will continue it with the greatest enthusiasm and will fight lies which has emerged in the country with its polluted face. But we will not allow that our deeds take the shape of blind deeds. I also take the opportunity to thank each and every citizen who acted each as a campaign headquarters in communicating this green message, and all those popular and official headquarters active in the elections and to stress that before reaching a result which our country deserves there is need for their presence and struggle." 
  • Mousavi also writes a letter of complaint to Supreme Leader Khamenei. 

• Mehdi Karrubi's official statement: "The Noble people of Iran! Thanks to the unprecedented participation of you the dear people, June 12th could have become the great day of festivity of republicanism in the regime of the blessed Imam Khomeini, but was transformed into a day of sorrow, and what can one do other than cry at a day of sorrow? Cry for lost respectability and value of votes of anyone who entered the arena of elections with love and faith in changing the state of affairs of the country and witnessed such fraud in trust. The election results announced for the tenth presidential election are so ridiculous and strange that one can neither express in spoken or written words and one must think otherwise. Such way of election and counting reminds us of the counting of the votes of the late Moddarres where the authorities did not even count the vote he had cast for himself and repetition of the lies announced by television is a reminder of the fraudulent statistics announced at the [televised presidential] debates. Such a wonder that popular participation was transformed into strengthening of the government and abuse of democracy only reduced it to participation of the nation. It is clear that the results and the institution rising from such counting of the vote lacks legitimacy and is not recognized by me. I express my complaint in front of the nation and kiss the hands of all the voters, especially the students, intellectuals, wives of the disadvantaged and those being discriminated them being non conformist thinkers, ethnic and sectarian minorities, the sufis, members of the Ahl-e Hagh and as an independent individual will remain in the arena within the intellectual and political line of my own and based upon positions and statements I have released and will report to the great Iranian nation upon my actions in later statements. This is only the beginning. Mehdi Karrubi, June 13, 2009."

• Mohsen Rezai's official statement: "I congratulate the happy birthday of her holiness Fatemeh daughter of Zahra, peace be upon her. I praise your interest in deciding your destiny and future. I, as a son of the nation which created this epic congratulate you and am proud of being Iranian. Now that you have created another astonishing epic in deciding your destiny I hope that this enthusiastic presence does not become biter because of some ill thoughts. Well aware that some individuals and movements on such occasions pursue certain goals I urge you the noble people to calm and unity since calm and unity of the people is more important than anything else. I humbly ask the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution to - besides the number of my votes announced - through any means he finds expedient attend to some matters which have caused disturbance of the minds of the intelligent people of Iran and as always say the final word [fasl al-khetab.] I also use this opportunity to thank all those who have supported me and struggled for me. It is clear that the individual who after the legal proceedings and final approval of supervisory institutions and is installed by the Supreme Leader as president is the president of the entire Iranian nation and in order to avoid any pause in serving the people I will support him. The small soldier of the Iranian nation, Mohsen Rezai. 

Politics

• BBC Persian wonders how Ahmadinejad's rivals did not even win majorities in their native cities and villages. According to official statistics, in Shabester, birthplace of Mousavi, Ahmadinejad won 5000 votes and Mousavi a modest 2000 votes. In the village of Lali in Khouzestan, birth place of Rezai, Ahmadinejad won 830 votes and Rezai only 70 votes. 

• Rezai, in an open letter to the Interior Ministry, demands complete voting data from each voting center. 

• Supreme Leader Khamenei calls the result of the presidential election: "A divine miracle!" 

• Mousavi demands a new election, urges his supporters to continue "civil unrest." 

• 150 professors and lecturers at Sharif University in Tehran resign in protest against the fraudulent election and say they would be ashamed of receiving their salary from the Ahmadinejad government. 

• Post-election interview with Ahmadinejad on live television. Video. 

• Ahmadinejad's post election press conference. Part one; part two. 

• Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani: "The parliament will continue its cooperation with the government within the framework of the law." 

• The Interior Ministry orders closure of all election headquarters. 

• The Election Headquarters orders an end to election propaganda activities. 

• Alef News Agency's Seyyed Amir Sayyah explains the Mousavi headquarters' "astonishment" about election victory as "pre election victory delusion syndrome." 

• Keyhan frontpage: "Answering the call of the Leader: The nation had the last word!" 

• According to Shahab News, due to shortage of voting forms the Interior Ministry did not receive at least 4 million Mousavi votes. 

• President Elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses the nation in a televised address on national television. 

• Association of the Self Sacrificers of the Islamic Revolution congratulates Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei upon the "epic victory" of Ahmadinejad. 

• Interior Minister Sadegh Mahsouli: "We expected the 85 percent voter turnout." 

• Judiciary Chief Shahroudi congratulates Ahmadinejad. 

• Fatemeh Rajabi, wife of the spokesman of the Ahmadinejad government Gholam-Hossein Elham: "Ahmadinejad resting upon the votes of a Fatemid nation [a reference to the daughter of the prophet Muhammed] won over looters and enemies of religion, those setting the faith ablaze...Mousavi was slapped in the face by votes of Fatima...the miracle of the third millennium was repeated" 
  • In a separate statement, Fatemeh Rajabi demands the arrest of former President Mohammad Khatami and Rafsanjani along with the entire Rafsanjani family, whom she accuses of "plotting a coup" against the Islamic Republic. 

• Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda Mashhad Friday Prayer Leader attacks Rafsanjani's letter to Supreme Leader Khamenei, in which he had complained about Ahmadinejad's behavior in the presidential election. 

• Mousavi, Khatami and Karrubi meet at Rafsanjani's private home. 

• Ahmadinejad supporters celebrate victory at Azadi Square of Tehran. 

Military and security

• Street clashes in Tehran between the Law Enforcement Forces, civilian-dressed police and Mousavi supporters. 

• Riot police attack young demonstrators who try to get close to the Interior Ministry while shouting: "What happened to our vote?" 

• The Student Basij warns "deviant movements" of "decisive action" should they maintain their presence at street level. 

• Fars News Agency claims "hooligans supporting a certain presidential candidate" are "looting a street in Tehran." 

• The Revolutionary Guards and the Basij congratulate the nation upon large voter turnout. 

• Ahmad-Reza Radan Law Enforcement Forces deputy says any unauthorized street gathering will be dealt with decisively. 

• Police block all roads to the Interior Ministry. 
  • The Interior Ministry closed on Saturday. 

• Following Mousavi's declaration, a crowd gathers in front of his headquarters at Mir-Hadi Street but are scattered by police officers. Asr-e Iran also reports other skirmishes between Mousavi supporters and police. According to Asr-e Iran, the Law Enforcement Forces are heavily present in Vali-e Asr Street of Tehran and in vicinity of all Mousavi election headquarters all over Iran. 

• Iran Emrouz reports encirclement, closure and confiscation of all materials at election headquarters of Mousavi and Karrubi all over Iran. 

• Mousavi supporters demonstrate in streets of Tehran shouting, "Death to the dictator!" Civilian dressed agents armed with electric sticks attack the demonstrators. 

• The Basij declares the "entire Iranian nation" winner of the presidential election. 

• Street clashes in Tehran continue in Vali-ye Asr Boulevard and Fatemi Square. 

• Greater Tehran Traffic Police Deputy Colonel Majid Parizad issues prohibition against "continuous honking" by single or groups of cars.  

• The Prosecutor General warns those "disturbing public order" with severe prosecution. 

• Ahmadreza Radan Law Enforcement Forces Deputy refutes house arrest of Mousavi but adds "10 individuals planning anarchy at the Mousavi headquarters were arrested" along with "50 other individuals among whom there were also common thieves." Radan reports the total number of individuals arrested reaches 110. 
  • Shahab News says in Tehran alone the number of arrested individuals reaches 170. 

  • Mousavi urges his supporters to distance themselves from "the path of violence." 

• The Law Enforcement Forces shut down the main streets of Tehran to car traffic. 

Economy

• A parliamentary majority decides against investigation of the Ahmadinejad government's withdrawals from the foreign exchange reserve and $1 billion missing from the accounts. 

• The Tehran Housing Market did not register a single trade yesterday. 

Media

• Velayat-e Qazvin banned publishing alleged "insults" against Ahmadinejad. 

• E'temad-e Melli's front page announces the election result in which Karrubi comes fifth - getting even fewer votes than void and blank votes; other than the results the front page is blank, deploring the fact that the paper is not allowed to publish comments of Karrubi and Mousavi. 

• President of Syria Bashar al-Assad congratulates Ahmadinejad upon reelection. 

• HAMAS congratulates Ahmadinejad upon reelection. 

• Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt congratulates Ahmadinejd's reelection. 

• Palestinian Islamic Jihad congratulates Ahmadinejad's reelection and calls it a "vote for liberation of Qods." 

• Hezbollah in Lebanon congratulates Ahmadinejad's reelection. 

• Hugo Chavez congratulates Ahmadinejad upon his election victory. 

• Deputy Speaker of the Russian Duma: "Ahmadinejad is the correct choice of the Iranian nation." 

Media

• Reformist Entekhab News Agency blocked. http://www.tiknews.net/portal/

• Reformist Mizan News Agency blocked. http://www.mizannews.com/

• Student's news agency Aut News blocked. http://www.autnews.com/

• Karroubi mouthpiece E'temad-e Melli site blocked. http://www.irannewsagency.com/news/index.php/5/4220.html

• Rafsanjani mouthpiece Enghelab-e Eslami's editorial does not mention the presidential election, but instead attacks the Obama administration whose slogan of "change", according to the newspaper refers to "a changed way of killing the people of Afghanistan." The newspaper devotes only ten lines to the presidential election.  

• Keyhan hails Ahmadinejad's reelection as victory of "servitude" against "treason." 

Photo of the day

• Street clashes in Iran after the fraudulent presidential election. 

• Police attack Mousavi supporters demonstrating against the election results. 

• Ahmadinejad supporters celebrate victory.