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

Politics

• Rafsanjani in an interview with Modiriyat-e Ertebatat monthly:
  • "I would very much like to [resign.] My age is such that I would like this to happen. But I am still afraid that it would have bad political implications and that it should be interpreted as alienation... Whenever I traveled abroad on state business, I noted several places that I would like to later go as a tourist...."
  • Commenting his letter to Supreme Leader Khamenei prior to the presidential election Rafsanjani says: "Everyone knew that I was impartial with regard to the candidates and I did not care for whom the people voted. But everyone knew that my spirit of work is not compatible with this way of administering the country. Unfortunately Mr. Ahmadinejad had said unrealistic things in the [televised] debate. My own and everyone's expectation of the true lovers of the regime was that the Leader would react. I was not alone. In that debate you witnessed the battle against the clergy. Opposition against me, Mr. Khatami, Mr. Nateq Nouri and Mr. Karroubi, former presidents and speakers of the parliament was an excuse. It sold out of all the achievements of the revolution and left the impression that the clergy is incapable of administering the society."
  • According to Rafsanjani, Khamenei reacted in a measured way to his letter: "I asked him [Khamenei] what is your opinion? He said: 'With regard to substance, I have no issue. I have only one point, which is that Mr. Ahmadinejad has not accused your person of corruption and spoke about your children.' I said: 'The atmosphere was such that despite my name not being mentioned everything was directed against me.' He said: 'I have really no issue with the letter but if I was in your place I would have published it after the election.'"
• Rafsanjani, Khatami, Mousavi, Karrubi and Hassan Khomeini deplore the attack against the office of Grand Ayatollah Sanei, say the attack was not conducted by rogue elements.
• Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff:
  • "Artistic activity in all fields, including music is free within the frameworks of the law for all artists inside and outside Iran."
  • "As far as we know the Judiciary has not yet pursued complains of the government against [Tehran mayor Qalibaf.]"
    • Kayhan attacks Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, for inappropriate use of public funds.
• Kadkhodaei, former Guardian Council spokesman, recalls the meeting where representatives of presidential candidates discussed the presidential election following accusations of fraud.
• TV debate between academic Sadegh Zibakalam and parliamentarian Hojjat al-Eslam Rasayi in which Zibakalam compares the political mechanisms of the Islamic Republic with the Soviet Union under Stalin. Audio, parts 1 and 2:

Diplomacy

• Ali Abbas-Pour Tehrani Fard, parliamentarian:
  • "Unfortunately Iran has become too dependent on countries like Russia and China... These countries have demonstrated that at the very end they will not remain on our side when decisions are made."
• Sobh-e Sadegh editorializes:
  • "With regard to relations with Russia two issues must be taken into consideration: First, public opinion... in Russia, which is based upon a history of rivalry between Russia and the United States... and which has been ignored by the very person of Medvedev who is moving against the historical wishes of the Russian people... Second, viewpoints and behavior of the authorities: As opposed to the people around Medvedev who are mostly young and inexperienced, those who accept Putin's viewpoints are among Russian traditionalists who have a very negative opinion about the United States. This group, led by Putin, does not consider distancing Russia from Iran as Russian interest because they think of new challenges with the United States in the region."
• [E] "Obama received a negative grade in this diplomacy," said Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki, alluding to the White House diplomacy vis-à-vis Tehran's tripartite agreement on nuclear fuel swap.
• [E] Ahmadinejad, at a meeting with the new Uruguayan ambassador: "Today you, the envoys, are sent on your missions by a government about which all the world is speaking because Iran is being turned into the biggest world power."
• [E] Ahmadinejad claimed that Tehran views relations with Nicaragua as highly important and intends to further expand ties with Managua.
• [E] Ahmadinejad: “Today, Iran supports the people of Lebanon and also the resistance as the policies of both countries are built on resisting bullying powers.”
• [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani is due to pay a two-day visit to Damascus on June 30.
• [E] Tehran’s ambassador to Islamabad: “In addition to the added economic value of billions of dollars, the Iran gas pipeline agreement has boosted the strategic value of Pakistan in the region.”
• [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki is slated to pay an official visit to Pakistan in August to take part in the two countries' 18th joint economic commission meeting.
• [E] Senior Iranian and UAE parliamentary officials underlined the necessity for the further development of ties between the two Muslim countries' legislative bodies.

Military and Security

• Commander Ali Fazli says "more than 12 million people are organized in the Basij."
• A majority of Alef's readers condemn the Islamic Republic's support to Hamas.
• Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi: "Iran's missile capabilities is designed and produced as a defensive measure in the face of any military threat and does not threaten any country."
• Hojjat al-Eslam Mojtaba Zolnouri, deputy representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards: "Those without insight are to blame for the post-election events."
• Sobh-e Sadegh depicts Twitter and Facebook as instruments of the enemy to instigate unrest in Iran. 
• Abd al-Malek Rigi, Jundallah leader, executed.
  • Judiciary Chief Sadegh Larijani says "regardless how much support the terrorists receive from the Westerners they must know that the sword of law is their destiny."
  • [E] Iran announced on Sunday that it has carried out the court ruling for the capital punishment of Abd al Malek Rigi, the ringleader of the Pakistan-based Jundollah terrorist group.
• [E] A provincial judiciary official announced on Saturday that the country's intelligence forces had arrested several members of the anti-Iran terrorist group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), who planned to stage bomb attacks in a number of the cities of Mazandaran province.
• [E] A senior Iranian Air Defense commander said that Iran's radar systems can detect all flying objects in the region, including in the Persian Gulf littoral states.
• [E] Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari appointed General Alireza Tangsiri as the new lieutenant commander of the IRGC naval forces
• [E] A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that the IRGC Navy plans to enhance the power of its missiles and under-water equipment.

Economy

• Oil Minister Masoud Mir-Kazemi says Iran is in need of "$65 [per barrel] oil in order to administer the country."
• Iran Khodro and SAIPA car manufacturers will be privatized later today.

• [E] Iran's largest auto-manufacturer, Iran-Khodro Company (IKCO), announced that it has set a new sales record in the first quarter of the current Iranian year (March 21 to June 20, 2010), increasing its sales by an unprecedented 55%.

•  [E] Iranian Commerce Minister says the new sanctions against Tehran will have no effect on the country's negotiations with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• [E] Managing-Director of Iran's Exports Development (Tose'e Saderat) Bank: "Despite all problems, difficulties and unjust sanctions, Iran experienced an economic growth rate higher than the global average last year.”
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Trade

• Four foreign companies - Select Energy Trading, Dragon Oil, Oil Emirate, Vitol, and Caspian Oil Development - do not renew oil swap contracts with Iran and the companies have reportedly begun negotiations with Russia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
• Iran and Pakistan negotiate transfer of natural gas from Iran to China.
• [E] Chinese Ambassador to Tehran Xie Xiaoyan announced that his country is interested in developing Iran's North Pars gas field infrastructures.

• [E] "Not only the CNOOC (China's National Offshore Oil Corp) company but also the Chinese embassy and government support implementation of the North Pars project in Iran and in Bushehr province.”

• [E] Iranian Deputy Commerce Minister said that Tehran plans to support Iranian companies in expanding their trade activities in the commonwealth states, Kazakhstan in particular.
• [E] Iranian Minister of Agriculture described Senegal as Iran's Gate to Africa.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani stresses the importance of securing conformity with hijab but adds "extremism in the fight against bad hijab is not desirable."

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Tehran, citing “unreal reports,” has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the country will no longer allow two of the agency's inspectors to continue their visits to Iranian facilities.
• [E] Three days after the European Union agreed to increase pressure on Iran by imposing unilateral sanctions, France seeks dialogue with Tehran “without delay.”

Human Rights

• [E] Secretary-General of Iran's High Council of Human Rights: "The US and the West have drastically lost their competence to comment about human rights issues.”

Photos of the Day

• Caligula in Tehran.