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

Iranian politicians mixed over Khatami’s retreat from presidential race; Mousavi receives endorsements; Ahmadinejad clashes with parliament over budget; Syrian president offers mediation role between U.S., Iran; Mottaki embarks on regional tour; Ahmadinejad says capitalist system on brink of collapse; minister warns of rising unemployment in Iran; Pakistan keen to boost trade with Iran despite U.N. sanctions; Iran negotiate gas swap with Russia, signs $2.5 billion gas deal with China

Politics

• Khatami officially quits presidential campaign. 
  • Hundreds of journalists urge Khatami to re-enter the campaign. 
  • Former Vice President Abtahi calls Khatami's withdrawal "choking" but "ethical." 
  • Aftab-e Yazd editorializes: "The 36-day participation of Khatami in presidential campaign was short, but full of blessings… By leaving the campaign, he proved that he was not ready to mobilize the voters with utopian slogans…”
  • E'temad publishes reactions of leading reformist candidates, such as Mehdi Karrubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi, to Khatami's exit.
  • Mohammad Atrian-Far defends Khatami's retreat. 
  • A hostage taker during the U.S. Embassy seizure in 1979 and a current civil rights activist, Abbas Abdi, defends Khatami's decision to quit the race. He says Khatami did not leave because of Mousavi's candidacy, however.
  • Karbaschi says his opposition to Khatami's candidacy had nothing to do with personal issues but was on fundamental ideological basis. 
  • Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution spokesman Mohsen Armin says Khatami's decision to leave the campaign elevates him to the symbol of "ethics in the political history of Iran."  Hadi Khaniki agrees.
  • Aftab-e Yazd's analysts: Khatami's withdrawal from the campaign may have mitigated the Principalists’ concern, but Ahmadinejad could be challenged from within his own ranks now as the Khatami threat no longer forces the Principalists to rally around him.
  • E'temad reports frantic attempts to persuade Khatami to run for president. 
  • Former Vice President Mohammad-Ali Abtahi refutes Fars News Agency's report claiming Khatami's wife Zohreh Sadeghi has abandoned him in protest against his candidacy.
• Mir-Hossein Mousavi draws more attention after Khatami’s withdrawal from the presidential race.
  • Hadi Khamenei, brother of the Supreme Leader, says Mir-Hossein Mousavi is a superior candidate. 
  • The Student Basij at Sharif University likens Mousavi with the Jews of the Bani-Qoraizeh tribe [Yahoud-e Bani-Qoraizeh], who allegedly conspired against the Prophet Muhammad. 
  • Ansar News Agency, mouthpiece of Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilante organization, condemns Mousavi's speech at Tehran University at the invitation of the Islamic Student Association at Tehran University – what the author describes as being “American Islam” and “the student wing of the Mojahedin and Mosharekat front”.
    • It blasts Mousavi for praising Khatami. 
    • Ansar also attacks Mousavi for not being a follower of the Imam of the Era and for criticizing Ahmadinejad's devotion to the Imam of the Era. 
  • Former Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Abbas Douz-Douzani condemns Keyhan's attacks against Mousavi. 
  • Moetalefeh Faction General Secretary blasts Mousavi's statement that his views and those of Khatami are similar.
  • Sharif University students demand clarification of Mousavi’s stance in the election.
  • Mousavi to begin campaign travel to Mashhad or Khouzestan. 
  • Keyhan claims the reformists are supporting Mousavi's candidacy because they hope to mobilize Principalist voters for his cause. The papercriticizes Mousavi for not distancing himself from Khatami’s supporters. 
  • Pahlavi era sociologist Ehsan Naraghi supports Mousavi.
  • Former IRGC Commander-in-Chief Abbas Douz-Douzani says Khatami and Mousavi have similar political agendas. 
  • Ali-Reza Beheshti discusses present and past of Mousavi.
  • So-called religio-nationalist personalities such as the former terrorist Lotf-Allah Meisami and the mastermind behind the first attack against the U.S. Embassy in Tehran Habib-Allah Peyman endorse candidacy of Mousavi, call Mousavi's critics "agents of Satan." 
  • Habib-Allah Peyman declares his support for Mousavi.
  • Sobh-e Sadegh attacks positions of reformist candidates Khatami, Karrubi and Mousavi, supports Ahmadinejad. 
• Mousavi speaking at the Hosseiniyeh of Nazi-Abad neighborhood in Southern Tehran:
  • Supporters chanted the slogan “Mir-Hossein Payandeh, Re'is-Jomhour-e Ayandeh [Long Live Mir-Hossein, Future President] and Mir-Hossein-e Ghahreman, Hami-ye Mostaz'afan [Mir-Hossein The Hero, Defender Of The Dispossessed].
  • Mousavi praised the role of the Iranian nation during the revolution of 1979 and the war with Iraq (1980-1988), criticized the government of ignoring the Twenty Year Development Scheme of the Islamic Republic and the threat of "Greater Middle East plan" of the enemy.
  • Mousavi criticized the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the Iranian society: "We should feel the danger in a society where palaces are reaching the sky and a lot of money is used by various parties."
  • Referring to a popular movie about the Prophet Joseph shown on the Iranian state television, Mousavi said: "When His Holiness Joseph earned the trust of the Pharaoh, he asked him to be allowed to administer the state [as Viceroy of Egypt] and managed to pass a 14-year-long crisis. After seven years of abundance, seven years of famine came. And he used all his abilities to fight the years of famine because many civilizations have been annihilated by it..."
  • Addressing the government, Mousavi asked: "During the years of abundance of oil revenue, which raised our [foreign exchange reserves] in an extraordinary way, did we make plans for years of famine and need? Did we listen to the advice of the experts during the years of abundance of foreign exchange revenue? Did we listen to the experts and political analysts who warned us against implications of our policies?..."
  • Mousavi concluded by quoting a saying attributed to Prophet Muhammad: "The statesmen must not maltreat the people under any circumstances or be unjust towards them. When speaking to them they should say nothing but the truth, and they should remain truthful to the promises they have given to the people." 
    • See also Fars News Agency's coverage on Mousavi’s speech.  
• Interior Minister Mahsouli says presidential candidates are allowed to appoint personal representatives at every election. 
• Former IRGC commander and current Secretary General of the Development and Justice Party Reza Talayi-Nik calls for the formation of a national unity government. 
  • Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani at this year’s last press conference: "If the purpose of a national unity government is to form a strong government, it is not a bad idea." 
• Aftab-e Yazd claims the Principalists have difficulty in persuading their members in parliament to support Ahmadinejad's candidacy. 
• E'temad publishes a background article on Rafsanjani. 
• Hassan Rowhani describes barring presidential candidates from speaking at universities as "childish." 
• Interior Minister Mahsouli appoints Kamran Daneshjou Election Headquarter Chief. 
• Larijani describes Ahmadinejad's protest letter regarding the budget as "comical." 
  • Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Ali Mottahari says, “The government’s fury at exclusion of subsidies from the budget indicates that the government may have wanted to pay the subsidies immediately in order to pursue certain political goals…”
• Hassan Rowhani says the Supreme Leader does not support any of the candidates. 
• Mohtashami-Pour expresses hope that the reformist candidates will unite to nominate a single candidate. 
• Ahmadinejad begins his visit to Kordestan province in Sanandaj. 
  • The president promises to announce a great victory soon. 
• Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi says he has never trusted presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi. 
  • Elias Hazrati is appointed Mehdi Karrubi's campaign chief in Tehran. 
• Supreme Leader praises Iran’s scientific advances.
• International Affairs Deputy of Moetalefeh Faction Hamid-Reza Tarraghi says he has warned Ahmadinejad that those attending rallies during his provincial trips may not necessarily vote for him.
• Former IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohsen Rezai says the government is not "the privilege of the few, and all should have a share in it." 
• Rumors on imminent release of Abbas Palizdar. 

Diplomacy

• Bashar al-Assad declares Syria's readiness to mediate between Iran and the West. 
• Senior presidential advisor Mashayi reports on his meetings with the Iranian community in Canada.
• Jomhouri-ye Eslami evaluates political developments over the past year and praises Iran’s ideological foundation and its policy direction toward the Palestinian issue.  
• Foreign Ministry spokesman Ghashghavi says Islamic Republic’s 20 embassies are without ambassadors. 
• E'temad provides background information on Foreign Minister Mottaki's visits to littoral countries of the Persian Gulf. 
  • Mottaki pays unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia. 
    • Saudi King Abdullah receives Mottaki. 
    • The foreign minister will continue his trip to Bahrain and Kuwait. 
• According to Entekhab News, Egypt has declared readiness to defend Bahrain's sovereignty in the face of any Iranian aggression. 
• Ahmadinejad speaking in Sanandaj:
  • "The greatest problem of mankind today is deviation from the path of God and His messenger. All problems that have made life difficult for mankind is because of leaving the path of divine prophets, especially the beloved Prophet of Islam... But today, with the grace of the divine wisdom and the steadfastness of the Iranian nation, the world affairs are changing and economic and cultural systems based on seeking worldly pleasures are ending... Today, speaking about liberal economics, the free market, and the capitalist economic system draws people’s hatred, skepticism and opposition everywhere… They [followers of the capitalist world order] are incapable of solving the economic problems of the world. We witness bewilderment in the camp of capitalism and bullying powers to such a degree that they have economically reached a dead-end and are on the verge of total collapse and dissolution...
  • Addressing the "bullying powers" Ahmadinejad continues: “You once managed to unite to put pressure on the Iranian nation and close the path of progress for this nation, but ever since the entire nation of Iran has united to challenge you and has blocked your path... Know this: The Iranian nation has reached a point that if [you] want to pressurize it through propaganda or economic tools, even the Kurdish nation would be sufficient to break your hands." 
• A Hollywood delegation visiting Iran claims the U.S. Department of State "approved of our visit [to Iran] but did not intervene." 
• Rafsanjani meets Senegal’s ambassador. 
• Emir of Kuwait thanks Iran for solving regional problems.
• Academic Sadegh Zibakalam says no realistic change has taken place in Washington and no change can be expected in the Iran-U.S. relations. 
• Ham-Mihan warns of anti-Iranian alliance orchestrated by Saudi Arabia. 
• Judiciary Chief Shahroudi explains the purpose of his upcoming trip to South Korea. 

Economy

• Senior presidential advisor Hashemi Samareh says the most important priority of the government next year is realization of the economic reform plan. 
• Donya-ye Eqtesad publishes a backgrounder on the housing sector. 
• The Central Bank says inflation rate will decrease below 20%.  
• Exporters' Association criticizes government’s insufficient support for exports.
• Labor and Social Affairs Minister Jahromi warns of rising unemployment due to global financial crisis. 
  • Jahromi also criticized performance of the economic team of the cabinet, in which he himself serves as a minister dealing with employment issues. 
• The banking sector is rumored to offer 20% of shares in Mellat Bank to foreign investors. 
• According to Abrar, the revised budget disrupts circulation of subsidized gasoline in Iran. 
• Abrar-e Eghtesadi reports on performance of Iranian/Bahraini bank Al-Mostaghbal Bank. 
• Ahmadinejad says capitalism has reached a dead-end. 
• Minimum wage in Iran is 2,745,000 rial per month. 
• Mashhad Mayor claims 800,000 people in the suburbs of the city are "in need of bread for supper." 
• Distribution of frozen red meat in the market does not affect rising prices, as lamb is up 90,000 Rial per kilo. 
• Seven state-owned companies to be privatized. 
• Ahmadinejad accuses the parliament of not abiding by the constitution regarding the budget bill, and issues a warning addressed to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
  • Ahmadinejad's budgetary affairs deputy at the Strategic Planning and Supervision Bureau claimed that "Scrutinizing the 1388 (2009/2010) National Budget, members of parliament have changed approximately 25% of the budget bill, which has fundamentally changed the substance of the budget… Until now the largest revision [of the budget] has been 14%."
  • In a separate letter to Larijani, Ahmadinejad complained about the parliament’s disapproving the government’s budget and “ratifying a budget totally different, new, non-transparent, unbalanced and inconsistent." He added that the budget passed the parliament "can't be realized and … causes disarray in the financial and economic system of the country."
  • The president described the parliament’s move as not in line with the constitution.

Trade

• Trade Minister Kazemi assures the public that there will be no fruit shortage during the Nowrouz Holidays. 
• Central Bank of Pakistan announces that despite U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran it is ready to provide economic guarantees to exporters to Iran. 

Energy

• Keyhan ridicules U.S. attempts to impose new sanctions on Iran, hinting at Chinese and Korean oil and gas contracts with Iran. 
• Mottakki in a meeting with King of Oman Sultan Qabous says the "oil price is not logical." 
• Iran and Russia negotiate natural gas swap. 
• Iran and China sign $2.5 billion oil and natural gas contract. 

Religion, society and culture

• Ansar News discusses the geographic location of the hiding of the Imam of the Era prior to the Day of Reckoning.
• Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi demands a ban against the Chahar-Shanbeh-Souri festivity. 
• Three hundred students receiving Health Ministry scholarships to study abroad have not returned.
• Water to be rationed in Tehran. 
• Islamic Student Association at Shiraz University is dissolved following a speech by religious innovator Mojtahed Shabestari. 
• Hojjat al-Eslam Faghihi discusses the performance of theological seminaries for women at IRGC’s social housing neighborhoods. 
• Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli: "Chahar-Shanbeh-Souri [Party of the last Tuesday of the Persian calendar year] is a malignant habit." 
  • Ayatollah Morteza Moghtadayi says the Chahar-Shanbeh-Souri festivity is contrary to the Shari'a. 
• Roads and transport minister Behbahani opposes the installation of guard rails on roads. 
• Police to open offices specializing in women affairs. 
• Ayatollah Mousavi Khoeini discusses the formation of the Combatant Clergy Association. 
• Ayatollah Sobhani attacks Mojtahed Shabestari's criticism of the dogma of infallibility of the Prophet Muhammad. 

Military and security

• Asr-e Iran reports 135 incidents during the Chahar-Shanbeh-Souri festivities in Tehran. 
  • Widespread arrests took place during the festivity in Tehran. 
  • For more, click here.  
• Intelligence Minister Ezheh'i describes security in Kordestan province as "excellent." 
• Deputy public prosecutor of Isfahan assassinated. 
• Muqtada al-Sadr Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi says, "The coup theory has become an institutionalized part of the mentality of the Ba'thists." 
• Defense Minister Najjar promises "stunning news" on military advances after March 21. 
• Seventy individuals involved in tribal unrest in Andimeshk are arrested.
• Seven killed in tribal clashes in Andimeshk. 
• Iran expresses readiness to accept members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization detained in Iraq. 

Media

• Agah-Sazi accuses Fars News Agency of being "the news agency of the Revolutionary Guards," which according to Agah-Sazi, is "going through a credibility crisis." 
• Ansar News accuses Keyhan of not disclosing the "treacherous past" of presidential candidate Mousavi.

Iran/Afghanistan

• Fars News Agency claims the U.S. is planning to create a Greater Pashtunistan out of Afghanistan. 

Nuclear Issue

• Gashghavi says Gordon Brown's statements on Iran's nuclear program are "inconsistent and self-contradictory." 
• Abrar warns of another round of sanctions designed by Europe against Iran.  

Photo of the day

• Photo Essay: Chahar-Shanbeh-Souri Festivities in Tehran. 
• For more, see here. 
• Hassan Khomeini and Khatami. 
• Mousavi speaks at the Hosseiniyeh of Nazi-Abad.