Iran News Round Up

Politics

• Narges Kalhor, 25-year-old daughter of presidential advisor Mehdi Kalhor, seeks asylum in Germany while participating at the film festival of Nuremberg with a film on torture.

  • Mehdi Rostam-Pour, wrestling commentator on Iranian television, defects and seeks asylum in Denmark.

• Esmail Kowsari, National Security Committee Deputy, demands prosecution of former President Mohammad Khatami.

  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mohseni Ezhehi says the Special Clerical Court will most certainly prosecute Mehdi Karrubi.

• Mohammad Hosseini, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister, commenting on IRNA's attacks against Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Grand Ayatollah Khomeini, says the media are free to criticize public personalities.

• Reformist theoretician Mohsen Armin: "Despite all the effort done at the leadership level and in official propaganda to depict the situation as desirable, the reality is that the society and the regime are facing a deep crisis. The election is the symbol and sign of the guarantee, and in my opinion the last symbol and sign of guaranteeing democracy, republicanism and sovereignty of the people when it comes to their own destiny in the regime of the Islamic Republic, but this was all either questioned or doubted by at the very least 14 million voters - as the gentlemen claim - for various reasons...The current social movement was not unpredictable. But I must modestly say that no one predicted such dimensions for it."

• Kargozaran technocratic faction theoretician Hossen Mar'ashi: "There is a third way which poses a serious threat against the regime...For now the Kargozaran has chosen a tactic of dignity and waiting..."

• Ayatollah Madani Tabrizi attacks the Ahmadinejad government indirectly: "Followers of Satan are now calling themselves the followers of God."

• Agah-Sazi publishes a speech made by Ayatollah Beheshti in 1980 in which he defended the constitution of the Islamic Republic against Ayatollah Lahouti's accusation that "this constitution is the sound of the footsteps of fascism."

Military and Security

• Video of fight between students at the Tehran branch of the Azad University and the Basij. (Parts 1, 2, and 3).

• Video of anti-Ahmadinejad demonstrations during the president’s visit to Shiraz.

• According Mowj-e Sabz News, the classified bulletin of the Guards has expressed anger against imprisoned reformist theoreticians Mohsen Mirdamadi, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Ghaem-Magham, Safayi Farahani, Mo'aven and Tajzadeh who refuse to confess.

• Parsineh releases speech of then-Speaker of the Parliament Hojjat al-Eslam Rafsanjani in the early 1980's where he supports expansion of the Revolutionary Guards’ role.

• Ahmadineajd addressing an assembly of army clerics arranged by the Ideological/Political Indoctrination Organization of the Army: "Soft warfare is composed of cultural assault and psychological assault. Contrary to common belief, the cultural assault is not directed against the people. This assault is mainly directed against the elites of the society so that they change their ideological foundations. The enemy has invested a lot in this..."

• Five Kuwaiti sailors arrested in Iranian territorial waters.

• The Basij to disengage from military activities which will now be the sole purview of the armed wing of the Basij, which has been incorporated within the Revolutionary Guards Ground Forces.

• Mohsen Rezai, former IRGC chief, on intervention in the economy: "Companies related to the Headquarters for Execution of the Decrees of the Imam and the Cooperative Company of the Guards managed to get hold of 50 percent of the shares [of Iran Telecommunication] which is disputable. The Cooperative Company of the Guards is a non-governmental institution but the policies of the Point 44 [privatization law] developed planning in the country. This point increased popular participation in the field of economy but privatization to the private sector will decrease. In reality privatization is being finalized, and a few years from now we will not have a phenomenon called privatization...If we want a serious trend of privatization, we should not limit it to smaller companies and one should welcome transfer of ownership of companies to non governmental institutions - be it the public sector and the private..."

• Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution faction questions the wisdom of concentrating internal security affairs in the hands of the Revolutionary Guards and the Guards' takeover of economic enterprises.

• Hojjat al-Eslam Hassan Rowhani, head of the Strategic Studies Center of the Expediency Council: "The Imam [Khomeini] said popular vote is the measure, but there are some who dislike it and say popular vote must be ceremonial. The Imam [Khomeini] spoke of progressive theology, but there are some who are more prone to reaction and dislike it. The Imam [Khomeini] said that military should not intervene in political affairs, but there are some who dislike it..."

• (E) Brig. Gen. Hussein Salami claimed that despite enemy misconceptions, Iran is “invincible.” General Salami justified his claim by citing Iran’s enduring independence throughout its war with Iraq in the 1980’s.

Nuclear Issue

• (E) Iranian officials have asserted that the Islamic Republic will never relinquish its nuclear rights in order to bow to Western pressure. While US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley has pointed to Tehran’s economic vulnerabilities in the face of sanctions, Iranian officials have refused to reconsider their nuclear program thus far.

Diplomacy

• King Abdullah and Saudi officials express wonder when they see a picture of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and another picture of Ahmadinejad on Syrian President Assad's desk.

• Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani will soon visit Iraq to sign an agreement about the Iran/Iraq border.

• (E) Iran's Expediency Council Chief Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani blamed Israel for creating rifts among Muslims. Rafsanjani emphasized the unity throughout Islamic world in support of the Palestinian cause. Salah Zavavi, the Palestinian ambassador to Iran, cited Iranian unity as an important factor in the Palestinian victory.

•  (E) Iran’s Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar urged foreign troops to leave Iraq and allow the Iraqi people to govern themselves freely. Najjar left Tehran to attend the ministerial meeting of Iraq’s neighboring countries in Egypt where Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Bahrain and Turkey will meet to discuss the country’s borders and the prevention of illegal tourists and weapons entering Iraq.

• (E) Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani will leave for Geneva this coming Sunday to participate in the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Larijani is expected to speak at the meeting about international cooperation regarding drug trafficking, selling illegal weapons, human smuggling and cross-border terrorism as well as the occupation of Palestinian lands.

•  (E) Four months after the disappearance of Shahram Amiri, an Umrah pilgrim, the Iranian government criticized Saudi Arabia for failing to provide a clear response. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has also accused the US of interfering in Amiri’s disappearance.

• (E) Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Mehdi Safari questioned the double standard held by the West regarding nuclear weapons in the Middle East. While the West has been critical of Iranian nuclear efforts, there has been no public outcry as to Israel’s long-time possession of nuclear weapons. Mottaki said “Israel's military programs are known to everyone… we should ask certain Western countries why they shut their eyes to 250 nuclear warheads already in the Israeli possession."

• (E) In a meeting with the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani insisted that foreign presence in Iraq was one of the major factors contributing to the country’s insecurity. Rafsanjani claimed that in Iraq, “the enemies seek devilish goals through creating division among Iraqi officials and influential figures” and advocated vigilance. Rafsanjani emphasized that Iran has always prioritized Iraqi freedom and security.

• (E) In a press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey’s ties to Iran were “very excellent.” Davutoglu added that Turkey was prepared to increase its involvement with Tehran.

• (E) Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has urged Secretary of State Clinton to abandon the anti-Iran rhetoric that was prevalent during the Bush administration. Mottaki’s remarks followed talks between Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov where Clinton commented on the importance of diplomacy, but threatened sanctions in the absence of Iranian nuclear cooperation.

• (E) Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki left Tehran to attend the 8^th Ministerial Meeting on Asia Cooperation Dialogue. The 2-day meeting will focus on outlooks for development, global economic expansion, and the unique spirit of Asia. The goal of the conference is to strengthen the relationships between Asian countries. 

Economy

• (E) Iranian engineers in Latin America launched two new plants in Venezuela, a dairy-production plant and an industrial producing corn unit. The two countries, which signed various oil and gas agreements in September, have increasingly close ties in economics and energy production.

•  (E) According to the Central Bank of Iran, the country’s inflation rates have dropped to 9.3 percent from 13 percent in August. The global economic downturn, falling oil prices and tightening of monetary policies by the central bank have been cited as explanations for the drop in inflation. However, the unemployment rate has risen to 11.3 percent.

Trade

• (E) Iran and South Korea's GS Company signed a 1240-million euro agreement to sweeten the gas extracted from the South Pars field. The timeline has been finalized and the project will be initiated in 42 months. This agreement will play an important role in feeding Iran’s energy needs.

• (E) Head of Serbian Chamber of Commerce Zorica Jekic asserted that Serbia is a potential market for many Iranian products. Emphasizing the need for greater political and diplomatic ties, Jekic mainly hopes to expand economic cooperation. Currently, Serbia imports raisins, polymer sheets, industrial stones and food products from Iran's Central Province, but Serbian businessmen have indicated that they would like Iran to be more heavily involved.

  •  (E) On the third day of the Serbian economic delegation visit to Markazi, an Iranian province, Iran’s Chamber of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Serbia regarding economic and commercial cooperation. Head of Arak Chamber of Commerce Mohammad Ali Abbasi explained that further cooperation would be discussed soon with a future Iranian economic delegation visit to Serbia.

• (E) Mohammad Taghi Samadi, the financial manager at the Bank Mellat, explained that the UK Treasury does not plan to cut off direct ties between the Iranian bank and British financial institutions. While the UK has imposed severe restrictions on the bank and promised to closely supervise its work, the UK Treasury is not limiting trade companies from investment with Bank Mellat.

  •  (E) The United Kingdom ordered financial companies to cut ties with Bank Mellat of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). The UK Treasury has accused IRISL ships of transporting materials for Iranian ballistic missiles and other parts of the nuclear program. Iranian officials have fiercely denied this claim. Currently, there are no plans to freeze the bank’s assets in the UK.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Ayatollah Vahid Khorasani and Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani to walk barefooted to the Ma'soumeh mausoleum in Qum.

• (E) Four consecutive tremors ranging from 1.3 to 4.8 on the Richter scale hit the city of Kamyaran in Iran's northwestern Kordestan province. The quake resulted in structural damage, but the number of casualties has not been reported. Iran is a country prone to earthquakes, with the most devastating quake killing 31,000 people in 2003.

• (E) The 10th Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival in Canada is scheduled to screen One Day After the Tenth Day directed by Iranian filmkaer Narges Aby. The film depicts an old man searching for his beloved camel.

• (E) The Iran Futsal Squad won the first cup at the Futsal Federations Cup in Libya on Monday. The tournament will present an award of $50,000 to Iran for its performance.

• (E) The 18th edition of Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in China plans to screen two Iranian films, Token and Face to Face. Token tells the story of how a little boy leaves his orphanage to discover information about his parents.  Face to Face is a crime- drama movie.

• (E) The Secretary of Iran’s Football Federation Mehdi Mohammad Nabi announced that Iran is scheduled to play a friendly game against Iceland on November 10^th. Uganda, Namibia, and the Faroe Islands have also agreed to play friendly games with the Iranian team.

Iran in the Afghan Media

• Afghanistan’s state-run Bakhtar News Agency reports that ‘newly-made Iranian mines’ have been seized in northern Afghanistan.

• Afghan and Iranian officials and clerics held a ceremony in Kabul to commemorate the achievements of Shi’a Imam Jafar al-Sadiq.

• Iran relaxes restrictions on Afghan refugee students. Tehran’s ambassador to Kabul Fida Hossien Maliki says 1,500 Afghan students have been given admission in Iranian universities this year. More, here and here.

Photos of the Day

• Former President Mohamamd Khatami's 66th birthday.