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

• (E) Iran confirms first sit-down with NATO in over 30 years.
• Returning from Romania, Supreme Prosecutor General Dorri-Najafabadi demands change in U.S. policies towards Iran.
• Gambia’s Vice President hosts Foreign Minister Mottaki, appreciates friendship of Iran. 
• Ahmadinejad says he has visited Arab countries, and now it time for Arab leaders to visit Iran.
  • Qatar's Foreign Minister says he regrets having invited Ahmadinejad to participate in Arab League Summit last year.
• Foreign Ministry Deputy Akhoundzadeh says Iranian and U.S. diplomats will not meet in Moscow. 
• Khedmat News praises victory of "the Islamists" in Turkey’s municipal elections. 
• Mohammad Khatami returns to Iran after lecturing in Australia. 

• Imprisoned Iranian American journalist Roxana Saberi threatens hunger strike. 
• The Law Enforcement Forces arrest more than 10 women’s rights activists because of their intention to visitthe family of the late Dr. Zahra Bani-Yaghoub, killed in custody. 

• A Swiss court fines a Czech citizen 5,000 Swiss Francs for exporting advanced electronics to Iran.
• Former Revolutionary Guards Chief Mohsen Rezai explains why the U.S. did not attack Iran four years ago:
  • "U.S. plans to attack Iran were leaked to the press and their plans were disclosed...
  • The Supreme Leader took the threats seriously and the Islamic Republic of Iran's made extraordinary preparations at the time: Serious threat of the Supreme Leader of retaliation in case of attacks against Iran…, display of new Iranian military technology which deterred the unprepared U.S. Navy... Continuity in negotiations with the Europeans...U.S. defeat in the attack against Lebanon which was a prelude to attack against Iran." 
• Revolutionary Guards Chief Ja'fari, visiting operational zones of Shalamcheh, says "more than 90 percent of our military equipment is produced by experts of the country in the Guards and the Army...Today, the Islamic Republic’s military self-sufficiency is praised in the entire world..." 
• Russia’s President says Russia will not make any deal with the U.S. when it comes to delivery of air defense systems to Iran.
• Former Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilante organization member Dehnamaki's former account of the serial killings of the late 1990's released by Baztab News:
  • "Annihilation of opponents is a strategy used in the world which takes place through various methods...Those engaged in annihilation of the opponents are engaged in their legally-mandated and authorized job...
  • In every system some people are engaged in intelligence gathering and others are tasked with the job of annihilating the enemies. But usually there is not as much appreciation and thanking of the job of the second group - which has a harder job - than of the world of first group...
  • In the words of the Supreme Leader, those killed in the serial killings were among harmless enemies of the regime. The important issue in other words is that the system engaged in annihilation of the enemies did not take the priorities into consideration. Otherwise, the Supreme Leader would have used another expression than 'harmless enemies.’
  • Annihilation of harmless enemies has evolved into a weapon in the hands of some who pursue certain goals...The issue of national security is beyond factional and other specialized issues and after all, it also involves certain costs…
  • So many young people died in munitions factories because of errors and became martyrs. Now, four harmless enemies have been annihilated because of erroneous analysis of the Intelligence Ministry leadership. This should not be a reason to question the motives of the intelligence forces..." 
• (E) Iran says it is not aiding North Korea’s rocket launch.

• Qom Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini says negative campaigning is a sin.
• Guardian Council Secretary Ayatollah Jannati defends performance of the Ahmadnejad government.
• Raja News republishes Khomeini's letter dismissing Grand Ayatollah Montazeri as his Successor Designate.
• Raja News discusses internal divisions in President Rafsanjani’s second cabinet.
• Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Ahmadinejad to campaign in Iran/Iraq war zones. 
• Ahmadinejad to travel to Isfahan. 
• Reformist theoretician Mohsen Armin says after forcing Mohammad Khatami to leave the presidential campaign, the "opponents of reform have concentrated their attacks against Mir-Hossein Mousavi."
• Hadi Khamenei brother of the Supreme Leader, supports Mir-Hossein Mousavi. 
• Ahmadinejad says it is not important if a government is in power for one term or for ten. The important thing is that the government secures members of the government salvation in the next world. 
• Mousavi campaign disassociates itself from the release of a statement by Mir-Hossein Mousavi to the effect "the reformists do not need Mr. Rafsanjani as a big brother."

• Upon Saudi Arabia defeating Iran in football in Tehran in front of 100,000 Iranian spectators, Alef News Agency invites the readers to participate in a debate which unleashes a wave of anti-Arab and anti-Wahabi sentiment comparing the football defeat with defeat of the Sassanid dynasty at the hands of Arab invaders, but most of the criticism is directed against national team coach Ali Daie, allegedly corrupt football officials in Iran and even Ahmadinejad's presence in the stadium, which according to some comments meant bad luck for the national team. 
  • Football National Team Coach Ali Daie fired after Iran's defeat to Saudi Arabia. 
    • Iranian Football Federation dismisses rumors that Ali Daie was fired. 
    • (E) Qotbi to be new football coach?
  • Ahmadinejad urges authorities not to waste the talent of the people and to see to it that they blossom in all fields, including sports. 
• Head of the Gonabadi Sufis complains about persecution of Sufis in Iran.
• Shi'a News reports suppression of Shi'a in Morocco.
  • Mizan News reports widespread arrest of Shi'a in Morocco. 

• The Social Welfare Organization's newspaper Khorshid closes reportedly after the Supreme Leader's call for more economic responsibility and avoidance of waste. 

• Iran’s football team defeated by Saudi Arabia.