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].

ElBaradei says, "Iran's credibility has suffered because of delay in disclosing information about its second uranium enrichment facility"; Venezuela, Malaysia, and Cuba vote with Iran and against large majority at IAEA;Soltanieh says Irna will stay in the NPT but, prior to the  vote, warns of reduced cooperation with the IAEA; Kazakhstan to sell helicopters to Iran; and Khamenei praises Basiji role in fighting "soft power."

Politics

• Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami to lead Friday prayers.

Diplomacy

• The Foreign Ministry summons Norway's ambassador to protest against "Norway's intervention in internal affairs of Iran" by aiding Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi "evade taxation."

  • The issue is raised following the Norwegian authorities' criticism of the Islamic Republic's "confiscation" of Shirin Ebadi’s funds.

     

• (E) Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani is scheduled to head a parliamentary delegation to Indonesia to attend the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, which represents 40 parliaments. At the Assembly, Larijani will meet with various heads of state to discuss economic, political, and regional issues.

Military and Security

• Kazakhstan's KAZAN helicopter manufacturing company to sell two helicopters to the Islamic Republic.

• Supreme Leader Khamenei addresses Basij, says Basij is tasked with fighting "soft threats."

  • Basij Chief Mohammadreza Naghdi addresses Tehran Friday Prayer, praises the role of the Basij.

• (E) Mojtaba Zonnour, the Supreme Leader's Deputy representative to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) emphasized the importance of Iranian participation in the establishment of peace in the Middle East. Zonnour elaborated on the key role that Iran already plays in securing the region and noted that any viable security solution must involve the Islamic Republic.

   

Nuclear Issue

•  IAEA Director General Elbaradei says "investigations of Iran's nuclear program have reached a dead end" and "Iran's credibility has suffered because of delay in disclosing information about its second uranium enrichment facility."

  • The Board of Governors of the IAEA passes a resolution against Iran's nuclear activities. Venezuela, Malaysia and Cuba vote against the resolution, Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey abstain from voting, Republic of Azerbaijan's representative left the meeting at the time of the voting, while 25 members voted against Iran.

• Aliasghar Soltaniyeh, the Islamic Republic's Ambassador to the IAEA, says "This resolution will lead to an atmosphere of conflict...but Iran will not leave the NPT..." Soltaniyeh also denied speculation that Iran will prevent inspections of Iran's nuclear sites.

  • Prior to the passage of the IAEA resolution, Soltaniyeh had warned of "Iran minimizing its cooperation with the IAEA."

  • (E) Soltaniyeh criticized the structure of the IAEA Board of Governors. Soltaniyeh alleged that only the most developed countries in every region are granted a seat on the IAEA Board. Therefore, western countries and their interests dominate Board discussions. Soltaniyeh does not believe that the IAEA has produced any reasonable evidence of Iranian misconduct on which to base the recent IAEA Board resolution.

  • (E) Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani was surprised at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stance regarding Iran’s recently revealed Fordo uranium enrichment plant, located near the city of Qom. The IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution sponsored by Germany calling on Iran to halt its construction at Fordo.

  • (E) In an audience filled with Iranian university students, Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani denounced the IAEA resolution as “cruel.” According to Rafsanjani, the resolution undermines Iran’s previous successes.

  • (E) Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki expressed concern that the IAEA resolution pressuring Iran to close its Fordo enrichment site will weaken the UN Security Council. Mottaki believes that the measure has already reduced IAEA credibility.

• Germany's Foreign Minister says "the international community will still negotiate with Iran, but not indefinitely."

• Russia's Minister of Energy travels to Iran to discuss completion of Bushehr nuclear plant.

• Iranian news site says 2500-3000 workers at the Bushehr Nuclear Plant are Russian citizens.

• (E) Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Ali Jannati criticized world powers for pressuring Iran to halt its civilian nuclear development program, highlighting Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA. Jannati claimed that the United States is attempting to leverage Iran’s nuclear program for Iran’s recognition of Israel.

•  (E) Iran’s Cabinet announced on Sunday the plan to construct ten new nuclear plants in the next two months. The new plants will function similarly to the Natanz site, producing fuel for power plants to generate 20,000 megawatts electricity. President Ahmadinejad declared that while Iran hopes to maintain close ties with the international community, it will not be subject to undue pressure.

  • (E) Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi announced that the government’s plan to construct ten new nuclear plants is a direct to the offensive resolution passed by the IAEA Board of Governors regarding the Fordo enrichment plant. Salehi claimed that all ten plants will be located in mountainous regions and will be capable of producing nuclear fuel.

Economy

• (E) Head of Iran's Privatization Organization Qolamreza Heidari Kord Zangeneh says that Iran has continued its privatization program and has privatized $63 billion worth of assets. The disinvestment has reduced the government’s share in Iran’s GDP from 80 percent to 40 percent.

Trade

• (E) According to Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, Russia’s largest petrochemical plant company, SIBUR, is coordinating with Tehran to develop petrochemical plants in Iran. The Russians plan to use blocks of the South Pars gas field, which holds eight percent of the world’s reserves.

• (E)In a meeting of the 8th Iran-Russia Joint Economic Commission on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and visiting Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko met to discuss increased cooperation in transportation, energy, and banking. Mottaki considered the Commission to be an appropriate framework to address strengthening ties between Tehran and Moscow. Shmatko reiterated that there is no obstacle impeding the growth of this relationship.

Photo of the Day

• Rolling out carpets for Eid prayers at Imam Reza shrine.