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

• Supreme Leader comments on Iran-U.S. relations:
  • "Provocations of the opponents and aid to secessionist and terrorist movements constituted the first deeds of the Americans in their hostility against the Islamic Republic and, according to reliable information, relations between U.S. elements and terrorist elements in the border area between Iran and Pakistan continue..."
  • Khamenei also comments on freezing of billions of dollars of Iranian assets, allegedly "giving the green light to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran and all out support of the U.S. to the Ba'thist regime" and the like and asks: "Can the Iranian nation forget all such problems?"
  • Khamenei also mentions "thirty years of sanctions against the Iranian nation," "Washington's support for criminal terrorists who have killed many, many people in Iran, have created tensions in the region, and supported Zionist criminals unconditionally, threatened Iran with military attacks permanently" as signs of U.S. hostility against "the Iranian nation."
  • Responding to President Obama's extended hand, Khamenei adds: "If the U.S. under the velvet glove is hiding a fist, this gesture has no meaning or worth."
  • On Obama's Nowrouz message, Khamenei said: "Even in this message, they called the Iranian nation supporters of terrorism and pursuers of nuclear weapons...We don't know who are the real decision maker in America, the President, Congress or elements behind the curtain. But I must stress that the Iranian nation - when it comes to issues related to itself - follows the path of calculations and logic and does not get emotional...Have you changed anything but your words? If your enmity against the Iranian nation has truly ended, have you released Iranian assets? Have you removed sanctions? Have you ended your propaganda warfare? Have you ended your unconditional support for the Zionist regime…? Changing rhetoric must not be followed by unchanged intentions.”
  • Khamenei also urged the U.S. authorities to "pay close attention to my words. But don't give them to the Zionist for translation. Consult with truthful people."
  • “Our nation does not like to be spoken to in the language of threats or bribes. Of course we do not have any past knowledge of the new President and the new government. Therefore we judge them by their deeds." 
    • Javanfekr, media advisor to Ahmadinejad, welcomes Obama's address to the people of Iran, but says one can't forget past offensive deeds of the U.S. against Iran. 
• Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez to travel to Iran.
  • (E) More, in English.
• Mohammad Khatami travels to Australia.
  • Rumors that Khatami will remain in Australia until the end of presidential elections. 
• Moroccan authorities say they have severed diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic following Iran's attempts to propagate Shi'ism in Morocco.
• Judiciary Chief Shahroudi reports expansion of legal cooperation between Iran and South Korea.
• Foreign Ministers of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan discuss role of Nowrouz. 

• (E) Iran, Russia may build joint nuclear plants.

• Supreme Leader: "The illness of waste has caused many economic, social and cultural problems which threaten the country...We must confess that habits, traditions, bad methods have caused excessive consumption and have disrupted the balance between production and consumption to the detriment of production. A third of bread production and at the very least one fifth of consumed water is wasted..." 

• Hessam Firouzi, a physician who treated noted political prisoners such as student activist Ahmad Batebi, has himself been sent to prison. The regime accuses him of "hiding fugitive prisoners."
• Naser Zarafshan, who represented relatives of Iranian intellectuals murdered in 1998, told Radio Farda that he was barred from leaving the country. Zarafshan's passport was confiscated when he was leaving Tehran for Brussels to attend a forum on environmental issues.
• Family members of imprisoned student activists spend Nowrouz in front of the Evin Prison to be close to their loved ones, but are arrested by the security forces. Mothers of Nariman Mostafavi, Mehdi Arabshahi, Milad  Assadi and Bahareh Hedayat, Farid Hashemi and Amin Nazari of the Office of Consolidation of Unity Student Organization, along with students barred from continuing the academic studies Majid Dorri and Said Fezlollahzadeh were among the people in front of Evin Prison. 

• Agah-Sazi publishes an article about the attempts of the Safavid Dynasty to find Shi'a sectarian legitimacy for Nowrouz.
• Asr-e Iran slams Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting's break with the Nowrouz tradition of firing a canon go mark the new year. 
• Khomeini's wife Batoul Saghafi dies at 93. 
  • Batoul Saghafi is buried.
  • Hassan Khomeini issues an official declaration upon passing away of Batoul Saghafi. 

• Asr-e Iran reports on websites censored by the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Unit.
• The Islamic Republic of Iran to broadcast "confessions" of Iranians engaged in "spread of pornography and anti-religious material online." and other "internet crimes."  Hassan Khomeini demands special Nowrouz-related programs on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. 
•  Turkish TRT Television to broadcast Persian language programs. 

• In his New Year speech, Supreme Leader Khamenei declares the year 1388 "The year of correction of role models for consumption" and adds: "The year 1387 [2008/2009] began with good nuclear news proving the capabilities of the Iranian nation and the expert scientists of this land.  The launching of the Omid satellite this year made Iran the equal of the countries in possession of this important technology. Such advances are truly amazing and have brought the people of Iran new respectability...The world has realized that the path of nuclear advances of the Iranian nation cannot be blocked since Iran's progress in various scientific and non-scientific fields demonstrate how ineffective are sanctions and proves that the great Iranian nation is boiling and growing from within and leaning upon its hard working and proud youth and that it neutralizes the propaganda and tricks of the enemies...
  • Because this great crisis which began in the U.S. and raised a horrible storm in the world, and despite the sanctions, the authorities of the country managed to protect our country and the nation against drowning in the great wave of problems in the wake of the global crisis, but one must take care and struggle so that, God willing, the economic advances blossom ever more for every single day...We must follow the slogan of innovation and blossoming so that, thanks to divine wisdom, we could reach a point befitting the Iranian nation...There is a lot of waste which widens the gap between the rich and poor. This needs to be corrected."
• Ahmadinejad wishes a happy New Year to "the entire Iranian nation, Persian speakers of the world and Supreme Leader of the Revolution." 
  • Ahmadinejad stresses the importance of realizing his economic reform plan.
• Mohammad Khatami sends his former campaign staff a New Year message.
  • Ayandeh's analyst claims Mohammad Khatami's exit from the campaign was not due to his tactical error of making the statement "either Mousavi or I will run for president" but due to his ethical superiority.
  • Karrubi advisor Abbasi-Far says Karrubi is not one of those generals who abandons his soldiers and exits from the presidential campaign.
• Veteran politician Behzad Nabavi discusses candidacy of Mir-Hossein Mousavi in the presence of student activists from Sharif University a week ago: "Before Engineer Mousavi [declared his candidacy] we expressed our support to Mr. Khatami, welcomed presence of Mr. Karrubi in elections and welcomed his viewpoints. But we also expressed hope that the reformists would finally enter the arena with a single candidate."
• Supreme Leader Khamenei speaks at the Imam Reza Mausoleum in Mashhad:
  • "Attempts to reform the subsidies system, provincial trips of the authorities and their travels near and abroad, and progress in the scientific field (especially in communications) have all prepared the ground for ever faster progress of the country and will continue with the relentless struggle to transform the decade into one of progress and justice...
  • A precondition for progress and justice is devout, brave, wise, sincere executives with strong will..."
  • Addressing the candidates, Khamenei adds: "Elections are not only a means to achieve power, but are also a means to improve and strengthen the capabilities of the country and honor the nation. Therefore, in your campaign behave in accordance to such matters so that no one speaks in such a way that the enemy is encouraged."
  • Addressing critics of elections, Khamenei adds: "Thirty elections have been held in this country and at all times the authorities have guaranteed the health of the elections. Therefore, the people will not listen to those who try to question the health of the elections."
  • On rumors that he supports a certain candidate: "I have only one vote, which I'll throw into the ballot box and I'm not telling anyone for whom to vote and for whom not to vote because this is up to the people themselves...Sometimes I defend the government and there are some who abuse it, but I have always supported all governments, especially when I see that a government is doing more to attend to the unprivileged, rises against injustice and colonialism and is attacked unjustly. But such sayings and my behavior have nothing to do with elections and is not to be understood as campaigning."
• Abdollah Mo'meni and other supporters of former Interior Minister Abdollah Nouri criticize the rest of the reformist camp: "We believed that Mr. Nouri's plans for presidential elections would only have a chance if different reformist groups demanding change would engage in a unified front expressing political and social demands of the society from the ruling elites...Qualification or disqualification of Nouri could have served as an indicator of how committed the decision making centers are to recognize the need for reforms...Unfortunately, our reformist friends on the one side were of the conviction that in future elections one must think of  salvation of the country and civil rights should have lower priority. On the other hand they would say that this reformist candidate will be qualified and another one not, but at the same time demanded unity for the sake of the country..." 

• Ham-Mihan claims the Islamic Republic and Russia have signed a secret arms deal for Iran to purchase sophisticated Russian air defense systems. 
• Law Enforcement Forces Chief Esma'il Ahmadi-Moghaddam says Tehran is the "safest capital city in the world" and promises to execute the societal security plan of the government. 

• Khamenei speaks in Mashhad.
• Funeral for Batoul Saghafi, Khomeini's wife. 

• Family members of imprisoned students are freed.