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

Foreign Ministry says authorities investigating “foreign intervention” in Iran’s internal affairs; Larijani urges for revising Iran’s relations with Britain; UAE Foreign Minister congratulates Ahmadinejad on re-election; IRGC issues stern warning against protestors, foreign countries; former Israeli defense minister says Iran “moving closer to ultimate nuclear capacity”

Diplomacy

• Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ghashghavi says the Islamic Republic is investigating intervention by foreigners in its internal affairs.
  • (E) Ghashghavi said: “With the main goal of sowing ethnic discord, Western powers have interfered in the election process by hyperbolizing the protests staged against the Iranian poll results.”
• Islamic Student Associations threatens to close the British Embassy in Tehran in protest at BBC Persian's coverage of unrest in Iran.
• Tabnak News, close to Mohsen Rezai, slams statements by the Israeli Prime Minister as intervention in internal affairs of the Islamic Republic.
• (E) Majlis Speaker Larijani called on the government to revise Iran’s relations with Britain as of a result of its “meddling” in Iranian election affairs.
• (E) UAE Foreign Minister congratulated Ahmadinejad on his re-election
• (E) Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated: “Iran is our very important neighbor. Stability in Iran has great influence on the stability of the whole region. Turkey will support every step taken in this direction.”

Politics

• Montazeri and Mousavi declare three days of mourning for last week's protesters killed by the Basij, the Revolutionary Guards and the riot police.
• Rafsanjani's first public comments about the post election events: "The enemy started disheartening the people because the enemy was aware that its stooges could not win. Therefore, it attempted to question the election...You saw that after the referendum on the Constitution [ed. in 1979] this group of hypocrites [ed. reference to the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization], whose face is well-known today, chose the revolutionary slogan that elections were not free at the election of Assembly of Experts. But the boycott proved futile. The people remained and voted...Unfortunately in the following phases, people who held responsibilities joined the hypocrites and attempted to taint the election and in reality attempted to exclude and dishearten the people..."
• Alef News Agency's commentator slams Mir-Hossein Mosuavi for irresponsible behavior.  
• In response to the chief of the Election Headquarters, Daneshjou’s explanation that more than 100 percent election participation in some constituencies is due to vacation and travel patterns in Iran at the time of the election, Tabnak points out that the numbers do not add up for South Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan and North Khorasan provinces.

Military and Security

• Public Relations Department of the Revolutionary Guards: "...World imperialism pursues the strategy of enmity against the Islamic revolution. After the epic Friday and celebration of Iranians’ religious democracy, it desires to take revenge from the dear and intelligent Iranian nation. Taking advantage of the prevailing situation, it is openly pursuing a destructive policy and significant intervention in our internal affairs by planning satanic and divisive scenarios.... As the elites, personalities, and sources of emulation have urged for following the guidance of the Supreme Leader at the Friday prayer – insisting that abiding by the law and abstaining from flouting the law are the only way to address problems and doubts about the elections – there is no doubt that continuing to commit illegal acts, instigating revolt and chaos, destroying public property, and attacking life and property of the people as done by those involved in the unrests show a great conspiracy against the revolution and the Iranian nation... The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps strongly condemn extra-legal movements opposing the path of his Holiness the Imam [Khomeini] and the Supreme Leader. With a deep understanding of the bitter course of recent events, it urges that the main elements and those manipulated by them follow the path of logic and pay attention to the national interests of the country and stop further sabotage and unrest, which has bereaved the calm and tranquility of the people and society. Otherwise, they should be prepared to face the decisive and revolutionary children of the Iranian nation in the Revolutionary Guards, the Basij and other security and Law Enforcement Forces, who, within the legal framework of their activities, will crush discord and revolt...In circumstances where invitation to gatherings and illegal protests from some candidates and their own inability to control the consequences of such gatherings has led to crime, revolt and disturbance of order and security, it is clear that the security, law enforcing forces and the popular Basij will not hesitate to deal with those involved in unrest..." The Revolutionary Guards also slams heads of "world imperialism, especially the United States, Britain and the Zionist regime" for interfering in internal affairs of the Islamic Republic and supporting the "revolt."
• Deutsche Welle reports clashes between the riot police and several hundreds of protestors in Tehran.
• According to BBC Persian, between 300 and 400 anti-riot police and Basij members in Tehran are cracking down on women and men dressed in black mourning the death of last days’ protestors. According to the BBC, the demonstrations are concentrated around the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting headquarters.
• The Law Enforcement Forces promises to release those taken into custody during the past week.
• Karrubi urges the people to mourn the casualties of the demonstrations of the past days at the mausoleum of Khomeini in the outskirts of Tehran.
• Despite Tehran University Dean's claim that the attack by the riot police has had no casualties at the Tehran University Campus, Naser Amir-Nezhad, Ph.D. candidate in Air and Space killed during the attack is buried in a village near Yasouj.
  • Mostafa Ghanian is another student killed at the Tehran University Campus incident. He is buried in Mashhad.
• Arrests in Iran:
  • Students Association Spokesman Abdollah Moemeni.
  • Mousa Saket, the Secretary of the Azerbaijan branch of the Office of Consolidation of Unity.
  • Hamed Iranshahi, a member of the policy planning group of the Office of the Consolidation of Unity.
  • Koroush Zaim, a member of the leadership council of the Iranian National Front.
  • Student activists Ali-Reza Khoshbakht and Zahra Towhidi.
  • Ali Vafghi, Hamzeh Ghalebi and Hossein Nikkhah, student activists employed in the Mousavi campaign.
•  (E) Iran’s Air Force began a four-day drill on Monday.
• (E) 457 people were arrested for instigating violence at the Saturday protest, and Tehran officials are investigating the death of 13 civilians.
  • (E) Tehran Police Chief Azizallah Rajabzadeh denied police involvement in the shootings on Saturday, stating that “Policemen are not authorized to use weapons against people” and “are trained to only use anti-riot tools to keep the people out of harm’s way.”

Media

• 180 Iranian journalists protest against further restrictions on their freedom to report current affairs in Iran and say "illegal acts of the government has not had any precedence since the Islamic Revolution, and add that even during the war there was no such pressure against the press."

Religion, Society and Culture

• Fiancé of Neda Agha-Soltan, gunned down by the Basij, says Neda did not die for any candidate, but for her country and for freedom.
• (E) Iranian exhibit 40 Posters from 30 Perspectives will showcase 40 posters created by graphic designer Onish Aminollahi.
• (E) Five Iranian filmmakers received the Special Filmmaker Award at the Black International Cinema festival.
• Dissident Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri declares that beating up and killing of the people are "religiously impermissible."
• In a meeting with a group of parliamentarians and members of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi urges all Iranians to strengthen the spirit of brotherhood so that "the scent of unity" once again spreads all over Iran.

Economy

• (E) Iran's OPEC governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi stated that “the recent developments in the country have had no impact on the oil industry or crude exports. The national oil industry is 100 percent normal,” adding that “the unrest has not even affected gas stations, let alone the country's production and export of crude.”

Nuclear Issue

• (E) Former Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said that “Iran has undoubtedly passed beyond the point of no return, moving closer to the ultimate nuclear capacity every day.”