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 

Karrubi receives warm reception in Isfahan; Rezai proposes federal budget for Iran; Hassan Abbasi accuses reformist candidates of plotting against government; Mousavi’s campaign activist accuses Ahmadinejad of deceiving people in run-up to elections; Larijani hails relations with Oman, says Iran’s military power poses no threat to Arab countries; IRGC political chief defends Basij’s intervention in upcoming elections; Iran to begin offshore oil exploration in Caspian Sea

Presidential Elections: General

·         Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi urges the candidates "not to disclose personal secrets of others, and not to fool the people by making empty promises to attract popular support." 

Presidential Elections: Mehdi Karrubi

·         Huge reception of Karrubi in Isfahan. 

Presidential Elections: Mohsen Rezai

·         Rezai calls for a federal budget for Iran.

·         Transitional government spokesman Sadegh Tabatabaei does not refute being appointed Rezai's First Vice President.

·         Mansouroun pre-revolutionary terrorist group embraces candidacy of its veteran Rezai; the website of the group features multiple interviews and speeches of Rezai. 

Presidential Elections: Ahmadinejad

·         Ahmadinejad urges the candidates to "speak in such a way that we all can cooperate with the next president." 

·         Sometimes-IRGC theoretician Hassan Abbasi accuses the reformists of "trying to get hold of power by creating a charged atmosphere," compares Iran's allegedly "stable" economy with the “bankrupt” U.S. economy, threatens to disclose the names of "250 people in the pay of Khatami's office who were engaged in regime toppling activities," and demands Mousavi "clarify his position with regard to this movement, 250 members of which are foreign spies."

o    Commenting the issue of the name of Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman Abbasi adds: "There is no such thing as the Sea of Oman; it is the Sea of Iran and since there has never been an Arab Sea the name must change into its previous name the Sea of Cyrus."

o    Abbasi also questions authenticity of former President Mohammad Khatami's Ph.D. degree. 

·         Ahmadinejad says his provincial trips have set global standards and have become a role model all over the world, slams critics of government decisions during the provincial trips for not mentioning "a single example of an incorrect policy decision," and warns that he will "disclose the names of the economically corrupt" if they do not abstain from engaging in corrupt deeds. 

·         Ahmadinejad says the presence of the entire cabinet in elections does not serve a propaganda purpose, insists his trip to his native province of Semnan has not been cancelled, and condemns mudslinging against his government. 

Presidential Elections: Mir-Hossein Mousavi

·         The literati convene in support of Mousavi.

·         Mousavi holds a press conference near the tomb of Sa'adi, praises the role of his wife as a close advisor but stresses that in his government "one would not see the nepotism which has become so common during this [Ahmadinejad's] government."

o    Commenting on clashes between his followers and Ahmadinejad supporters at Masjed-e Ghaba, Mousavi prayed for a calmer campaigning atmosphere in Iran. 

·         Mousavi is greeted with the song Yar-e Dabestani-ye Man [My schoolmate], signature song of the 1999 student uprisings at Bushehr University. 

·         Mousavi campaign activist and reformist theoretician Tajzadeh in Ahwaz: "Ahmadinejad claims he is neither going to establish a campaign headquarters nor will he use any money for campaigning. But such statements are opposed to distribution of billions of tomans worth of economic assistance and food distribution among villagers close to elections and raise a question: Does he intend to deceive the public?" 

Politics

·         Ahmadinejad, on rumors of resignation of Central Bank Director General Mahmoud Bahmani: "In this government, coming and going is a normal issue. Should there be problems the government will release information about it." 

Nuclear Issue

·         Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani, talking to Iran embassy employees in Oman:

o    "They [the Westerners] know that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon. The reason behind their petty criticism is that from the very beginning of the game, Iran was not meant to be in this league, but today we see that when a country follows high Islamic thoughts and achieves scientific and technological strides. With such potentials Iran has disrupted the regional equations..." 

Diplomacy

·         Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani praises Iran-Oman relations and stresses that Iran's military capabilities are not a threat to Arab and Islamic countries but an added value to their defense.

o    Larijani praises Sultan Qaboos' "independent view [with regard to the Iran/Iraq war] as opposed to some countries of the region which committed mistakes on that issue."

§  Adds: "It is our analysis that under present conditions there are several paths for planting discord between Arabic and Islamic countries and it is the Zionists who are at the roots of such conspiracies. But the Arab countries know that the strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is following the same path as the Arab and Islamic countries and we see no reason for being distanced from each other...

§  It is possible that with regard to some regional issues we have a difference of opinion with some countries. For example with regard to the attack of the Zionist regime against Gaza, we believed it was the duty of any Muslim and any human beings to defend the innocent people of Gaza. Therefore we supported the people of Palestine with all our force and we are proud that on the issue of Gaza we supported Hamas.

§  We are also proud that we defended Hezbollah during the 33-day war...

o    Larijani in Oman: "Iran's discourse is not one of [changing the political] geography or subjugating other states. Iran pursues freedom of all nations. Iran does not want other states to be under its umbrella. But some states - under pressure from the Zionist regime - consider this equation vicious...

§  The militaristic U.S. strategy has reached a dead end and therefore the Islamic Republic has become an effective element in regional equations. Some states may have politically motivated second thoughts, but we do not enter such a sphere...

§  Larijani leaves Oman to Yemen. 

·         Ahmadinejad says he will travel to Brazil after the elections, and that the "Zionist regime is too small to impact our foreign policy process." 

Military and Security

·         Supreme Leader Khamenei visits Imam Ali Base in Sanandaj, thanks the "brave people of Kordestan" and "enthusiastic Kurdish Peshmerga" for their jihad against the conspiracies of the foreigners. During this visit, IRGC chief Ja'fari explains the general security situation in the province and the IRGC's developmental and cultural role in Kordestan.

·         IRGC Political Department Chief Yadollah Javani attacks criticism of Basij intervention in presidential elections:

o    "Unfortunately, in this issue, we have witnessed insults from a certain quarter which by taking advantage of some statements of the Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief, has made unjust statements against the Basij despite the fact that those gentlemen know that the truth is otherwise...

o    The Guards are responsible for defense of the Revolution and countering threats. The nature of those threats shapes the methods of the Guards to counter them. Now, the question is this, can one imagine that political threats are unimaginable against the Revolution…?

o    The Guards will be one hundred percent active in countering political threats but will never take part in factional politics...

o    When one looks at the positions of the Westerners over the past thirty years, one finds out that they for the most part have desired that the elections take place in a cold atmosphere and that the people don't vote. But the defeat of their strategy during the past thirty years and some recent developments has made them change their position with regard to elections... Today they want to impact the result of elections since they know that the result of presence of each political movement would be different for them. If they know that presence of a certain political movement has better consequences for them they would use their energy in order to see to it that the group comes to power.

o    It is exactly because of this reason that when Obama came to power and chanted the slogan of change and improvement of relations with Iran, some of his advisors frankly told him to wait until the result of the Iranian election is clear..."

Economy

·         Sugar producers complain about the government not fulfilling its mandated obligation to protect the producers. 

Trade

·         Oil Minister Gholam-Hossein Nowzari says offshore oil exploration in the Caspian Sea will begin soon.

·         Iran resumes natural gas exports to Armenia. 

Photos of the Day

·         Supreme Leader Khamenei at Imam Ali Base in Sanandaj, here, here, and here.