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  

Politics

• Ahmadinejad declares the government's "unrestricted support for cultural development" of Shahr-e Rey.
• Rouhollah Hosseinian, parliamentarian, says the Green Movement chose the color green as the symbol of the movement after "[Mohammad] Khatami and some of these people arranged a party with George Soros."
• [E] Members of the Iranian Parliament on Wednesday re-elected Ali Larijani as the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly for the third consecutive year.

Military and Security

• Mohammad-Ali Jafari, Revolutionary Guards chief: "The Guards is speedily transferring security [responsibilities] in the South Eastern part of the country to the people of the region…"
• Three Iranian satellites will be launched soon.
• [E] A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday stressed that enemies of Iran are trying to sow discord in the country's southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan.

Nuclear Issue

• Sobh-e Sadegh praises the Tehran nuclear declaration as "Iran’s hardest slap in Obama's face."
• [E] The 'Tehran Declaration' endorsed by Iranian, Turkish and Brazilian officials on the swap of nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor has “astounded the US and made Washington present a hasty draft sanctions resolution to the UN,” a senior Iranian legislator said on Wednesday.
• [E] Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi lashed out at the “double-standard policies adopted by certain western countries,” reminding that the western states claim to be “defenders of human rights,” while they possess huge stockpiles of atomic weapons to massacre people.
• [E] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the Tehran Declaration on the swap of nuclear fuel between Iran and the West as a "very positive step" towards a negotiated settlement of Iran's nuclear issue if followed up with further engagement of the IAEA and the international community.
• [E] Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi lashed out at certain western powers for their attempts to impose fresh sanctions on Iran over its peaceful nuclear activities, stressing that boycotts will have no impact on the country's drive towards progress.
• [E] A delegation of Russian technical experts visited Tehran's research reactor and met with a number of officials of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), an Iranian official announced.
• [E] Any possible sanctions against Iran would leave a “negative impact” on the Tehran Declaration signed last Monday by Iran, Turkey and Brazil on the swap of nuclear fuel between Iran and potential suppliers, Iran's Ambassador to Russia Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi said.
• [E] A senior Iranian legislator called on the western countries to consider the Tehran Declaration signed by Iran, Turkey and Brazil on the swap of nuclear fuel as a single entity and avoid a selective approach towards the agreement.
• [E] Ahmadinejad has termed Tehran's nuclear fuel swap declaration as “the last opportunity for the West” to resolve Iran's nuclear case.
• [E] British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged Tuesday to 'ratchet up' pressure on Iran, rehashing the accusation that Tehran seeks to develop nukes.
• [E] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims Iran's nuclear declaration is a form of "trickery" by Tehran to ward off new sanctions.

·         [E] Days after Iran issued a declaration on a possible nuclear fuel swap, Iranian foreign minister moves to criticize Washington's stance toward the diplomatic statement.

·         [E] US Congressional leaders have decided to delay a new round of sanctions against Iran, waiting for multilateral embargos against Tehran's nuclear program by the United Nations.

·         [E] Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Wednesday Iran declared it is ready for fuel swap and now it is awaiting Vienna Group's response.

·         [E] The 'Tehran Declaration' on Iran-West nuclear fuel swap proved to the world that the Islamic Republic seeks a “peaceful solution to its nuclear issue,” a prominent Iranian legislator underlined on Wednesday.

Media

• Sobh-e Sadegh condemns France-based Euronews' plan to employ Iranian journalists with reform agenda.
• Sobh-e Sadegh writes that BBC Persian has used the Star of David as a background logo in one of its programs.
  • Similar criticism is made against Rolex watches: At 12:00 AM/PM the triangle above the number 12 shows the Star of David.

Economy

• [E] Iran's South Pars oil and gas field development project can bring the nation up to $130bn in revenues annually when it is fully implemented.

Trade

• [E] China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation better known as Sinopec Corp. is to ship well over a half million barrels of gasoline to Iran.

Iran in the Afghan Media

• Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi accuses the Iranian government of violating rights of the Afghan refugees. She alleges that the Iranian government has exploited the Afghan refugees as “cheap daily laborers”. 
• Iranian embassy in Kabul has asked Kabul’s High Attorney General Office to prosecute Afghan lawmaker Ramazan Bashardost for inciting anti-Iran sentiments amongst Afghans and acting against the Iranian interests in Afghanistan. Recent reports that the Iranian government has executed over 45 Afghan citizens have sparked angry anti-Iran protests across Afghanistan. Afghan government authorities have confirmed the execution of nine Afghans. Bashardost has described the executions of Afghan citizens in Iran as “murder,” and criticized parliamentarians who backed Iran’s actions.

Diplomacy

• [E] German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with Saudi King Abdullah Tuesday over Iran and Middle East peace talks.
• [E] Rapporteur of Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazem Jalali said Wednesday that the country is ready to host European Parliament delegation in late July or early August.
• [E] Senior Iranian and Syrian officials inked several agreements in Damascus yesterday to increase the two countries' mutual cooperation in several economic fields, including energy, technology, banking and industries.
•  [E] A former Pakistani army commander underlined Iran's ability to “stand against the western powers,” and called Tehran a “role model” for all developing countries.
• [E] Ahmadinejad stressed on Wednesday that the Iranian nation would never make any concession in the confrontation with the world powers.
• [E] Tehran and Tbilisi in a reciprocal move agreed on lifting visa requirements for the two countries' nationals to show “friendship and solidarity” between the two Asian states, a Georgian official said on Wednesday.
• [E] Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Iranian Expatriates' Affairs Hassan Qashqavi left Tehran for Ashgabat Wednesday morning in a bid to attend a meeting of the two countries' Joint Consular Commission.
• [E] Ahmadinejad on Wednesday warned his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to revise his unfriendly remarks and policies against Iran.
• [E] Prominent American scholar Noam Chomsky says “Washington cannot apply its policy of oppression to Tehran,” saying it is not in Iran's nature to follow orders.
• [E] Tehran strongly rejected news reports on the dispatch of Iranian observers to Nagorno-Karabakh to monitor the trend of elections, stressing that Iran does not recognize parliamentary elections in that region.

Photo of the Day

·         Ahmadinejad in Kerman.