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 addressed the "soft warfare seminar" in Tehran: "Iranian interpretation of the truth is the closest [interpretation] to the truth. We regulate our planning according to an Iranian interpretation of Islam which is compatible with our capacities..." One of the participants at the seminar accused Ahmadinejad of "disturbing the centrality of the Muslim community of believers, which is contrary to the foundations of the regime."
• Parliamentarians Hojjat al-Eslam Rouhollah Hosseinian and Hojjat al-Eslam Morteza Agha-Tehrani launch simultaneous attacks against Ali Larijani, speaker of the parliament. 
• A certain Hojjat ol-Eslam Hossein Ali-Akbarian, Supreme Leader Khamenei's roommate at the Hojjatiyeh theological seminary of Qom, says Khamenei was a source of emulation at the age of 20.

Diplomacy

• Supreme Leader Khamenei addresses non-Iranian theological students in Qom, stressing the importance of solidarity among the community of believers.
• President Hamed Karzai confesses that his chief of staff has received cash amounts from Iran "in a transparent way" and as a part of Iran's "contribution to Afghanistan reconstruction."
• Bolivia's President Morales visits Iran.

Military and Security

• Ala al-Din Boroujerdi, parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee chairman, addressing the "Soft Warfare Seminar," says that cyberspace has become the arena of "soft warfare" and warned against the influence of foreign broadcast media "even in the remotest villages."
• Abd al-Rahim Abd al-Hamid, son in law of Molavi Abd al-Hamid, Sunni Friday prayer leader of Sistan va Balouchestan province, was arrested for making "suspicious visits to the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and..."
• E] Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman calls the western powers' military buildup in the regional countries as the root cause of the current security crisis in the region—asking the regional states not to pay the costs of the world powers' economic meltdown by purchasing their arms and military equipment.
• [E] Iran began loading fuel into the core of the Bushehr nuclear power plant reactor on Tuesday morning in a last step before the facility can start operation.
• [E] Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on advises the people to take into account the complexity of the enemy which is hiding its real face under in disguise of friend.

Economy

• The government transfers cash handouts to the bank accounts of applicants in Kohkilouyeh and Golestan provinces.
• Ayatollah Vaez Tabasi: "Rather than chanting futile slogans, making unsuitable promises or giving hope to the people in vain, one must take a look at the realities and plan accordingly... Paying a cash amount to a few families could prove a temporary source of consolation for their problems, but it is no solution. One must look into a future in which there is no oil..."

Trade

• Mahmoud Zirakchianzadeh, Iranian Plateau Oil Company executive director, says his company has signed a $5 billion contract to develop Farzad B gas field "with a foreign company."
• According to Abrar, the German ILF Company has signed a $55 million contract with Pakistan to develop the Iran/Pakistan natural gas pipeline.
• The Islamic Republic signs contracts to develop LNG projects in Venezuela.
• Jahromi, executive director of Saderat Bank, says the problem of hawaleh transfers between his bank and the United Arab Emirates has been solved.
• According to Tehran-e Emrooz, Iraq, Afghanistan and Armenia are the largest importers of Iranian produced gasoline.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Higher Education, Research and Technology Minister Kamran Daneshjou, says he would be honored to "Islamize the universities" and announces that he intends to display the exam marks of male and female students at universities on different tables in order to prevent "mixing of sexes."