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

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad speaks about Obama in Shahr-e Kord:
  • "He has issued a statement, on the occasion of the anniversary of elections in Iran. Now that he has intervened in affairs of the Iranian nation, we let him be, but he has also begun saying 'we want the Iranian nation to be free.' This nation does not recognize you and despises you…!"
  • " What he has done is that he has obliged us to add one more global mission to our previous missions. Today the most violent dictatorship is imposed upon the American nation and the heaviest repression is to be found over there. They have no freedom to express themselves and no newspaper is allowed to write against the crimes of the Zionists and support of American statesmen. The people of the United States are not allowed to demonstrate freely in order to oppose crimes of some American statesmen. Many people in America, around 80 millions are living in poverty. This is the very same United States which has plundered hundreds and thousands of billions of dollars wealth of the nations. Mr. President of the United States, if you are concerned about the nations, why are you not concerned about your own nation? What you have done has made us announce that from now on one of the fundamental desires of the Iranian nation is to liberate the people of the United States from the undemocratic and bullying government of the United States."
• Ahmadinejad discusses the fourth round of sanctions against Iran:
  • "Iran has $100 billion in its [foreign exchange] reserves and there is no need for it to extend a hand towards base people..."
  • "Don't look at their anger and their gesticulations. They know themselves that such acts are not worth a nickel because it was through begging that they gathered the vote..."
  • "The president of the United States must issue a resolution against Iran in order to preserve a sense  of dignity in front of the Zionists and other criminals..."
  • "They know that they must negotiate. They think they must first issue a resolution and pressure Iran in order to gain the upper hand in the dialogue. The Iranian nation is in favor of dialogue and logic and has on many occasions announced that it will engage in dialogue with them, but they must know that conditions of dialogue has changed in comparison to earlier..."
  • "The imperialists know that the Iranian nation does not just talk. It will choose silence, it will endure, and consider [the situation] but when it announces a position it will stick to it until realizing [that position]..."
  • "They have said they want to encircle [Iran] economically. Very well, you need us, we don't need you..."
  • "For 20 to 25 years the wealth and money of this nation was in European banks but whenever we wanted to ask for a loan for a certain project and finance our projects they would produce a lot of preconditions and would say if you want the loan you must do this and that. They would try to impose political and economic conditions upon us but it was our own money in their banks..."
• [E] The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states, as well as representatives of Muslim and African countries, have reportedly voiced their opposition to the new communiqué issued against Iran by the UN Human Rights Council.
• [E] The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador to Tehran to protest the country's alleged support for the anti-Iran terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO).
• [E] Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs arrived in Bern on Thursday to confer with Swiss officials on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.

Military and Security

• Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi on the fourth round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic: "In the recent resolution, the imperialist powers have sanctioned arms sales to Iran, but we don't desire such arms and are even capable of exporting them."
• Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi says the "unknown soldiers of the Imam of the Era" have identified, arrested and dissolved two terrorist groups which were led both by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization and the "movement of discord," a reference to Iran's Green Movement.
• [E] A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) accused the US, Israel and their western allies of destabilizing the western borders of Iran by inciting terrorist groups.
• [E] Iranian Defense Minister said that the UN Security Council sanctions targeting Iran's defense apparatus would not affect military capabilities.

Nuclear Issue

• Ali Larijani: "Reaction of the Westerners should not anger us and should not lead to us leaving the Non Proliferation Treaty."
• [E] Iran will not tolerate the inspection of its vessels under the pretext of the new UNSC resolution against Iran’s nuclear program, a senior Iranian legislator said.
• [E] The US has begun to implement the UNSC resolution against Iran by blacklisting a state bank and a group of companies.
• [E] Weeks after 189 members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) called for the elimination of nuclear weapons, Iran asks for a specific timeframe to implement the ban.

Politics

• In a rare criticism of Ahmadinejad, Kayhan condemns the president's "unhappiness about control of the hijab."
  • So does Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi.

Economy

• Ahmadinejad at the ceremony of signing contracts to develop six phases of South Pars gas and oil field:
  • "Volume of the signed contracts reaches 210 trillion rials and, God willing, we will also invest 290 trillion tomans in other phases under development."
• Ahmadinejad addresses the crowds in Shahr-e Kord comments the latest contracts to develop South Pars gas and oil field with domestic companies: "210 trillion rials worth of contracts have been signed. With this contract 100,000 jobs will be created and in reality this is the largest contract in Iran's oil history."
• 100,000 rial bill to enter circulation next week.
• [E] Tehran is due to hold international conferences in South Korea, India, Singapore, and Malaysia to introduce investment opportunities in Iran.
• [E] Managing Director of Iran's South Pars Oil and Gas Company announced that the country plans to develop six other phases of the South Pars Field in the next three years.
• [E] Iran's oil exports have reached 2.3m barrels per day; the country exported more than 844m barrels of oil in the last Iranian year (ending March 20).

Trade

• Ali Larijani, speaker of the parliament, asks the government to continue 20 percent enrichment of uranium so that "the bullying countries understand that the level of enrichment will increase to match increased level of their illogical pressure."
  • Larijani also warned the United States and "some adventurous states" that should they contemplate search aerial and marine shipments of Iran "they should know that their ships will be 'served' in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman...."
• Iran will soon import water from Tajikistan.
• [E] An official stated that Russia is the main trade partner of Iran’s northern provinces, which export $900m worth of goods to Russia every year.
• [E] Iran plans to increase its gas imports from neighboring Turkmenistan by January of next year, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister said.

Iran in the Afghan Media

• Afghan refugees in Iran are concerned about Tehran’s plan to slash food and fuel subsidies. The cash handouts Iran is planning to give to its citizens in return do not include Afghan refugees living in the country.
• Two Iranian border guards have been arrested in Afghanistan’s western Nimroz Province.

Religion, Society and Culture

• [E] Oxford University is to exhibit a selection of posters, calligraphies, and logotypes from Iran's Bismillah festivals.
• [E] The modern and avant-garde works by contemporary Iranian artists, who incorporated cultural elements into their works, are due to be exhibited at Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Arts.
• [E] Iran is to publish an encyclopedia in France introducing Iranian nobles who have shaped Iran’s scientific and cultural history.  Officials hope that the volume can serve as a serious defender of Iranian civilization in Europe.

Photos of the Day

• All female branch of Melli Bank.