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

• Addressing students in Qom, Supreme Leader Khamenei discusses the post-election crisis in Iran:
  • "A group of people claimed fraud because they had a lack of insight, but they did so wrongly. It is natural that they should present their arguments and pursue their case through legal means...but they did not follow the correct legal path...they didn't accept the legal method, and it was clear that they were resisting the law..."

Military and Security

• Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi addresses the political and ideological indoctrination officers of the armed forces:
  • "The Supreme Leader’s plan has designed the situation so that the ninth and tenth cabinets [the Ahmadinejad governments of 2005 and 2009] came to power, and the regime is pursuing the correct path. Therefore, when the plan faces opposition, it is a serious issue... the fundamental concern of those who have become managers is the issue of the guardianship of the jurist. The latest sedition was based on opposition to the guardianship of the jurist, and the goal of this path [of opposition] is nothing short of the separation of religion from politics... the plan of imperialism was that the Hojjatiyeh [Charitable] Society, Bahaism, hypocrites, Communists, counter revolutionaries and even some pious conglomerates who did not support the revolution, should assemble there."
• Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi, representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards said:
  • "This issue [political intervention] depends on the type of military organization. For example, the Guards’ political activities are without any problem in some instances..."
  • "When it is necessary for the Guards to take a position on an affair, it is problematic if they do not. But it may not be necessary for the army to engage in such things..."
  • "They accused us of intervening in the election, but we did not intervene. We just explained some indicators and the principles, but this was not intervention in election."
    • Saidi continued:
      • "We will not allow the Guards to become an instrument in the hands of men. The Guards is the arm of the guardianship..."
      • "At certain points, we were mistaken. For example, voting for Bani-Sadr and the secular movement was not in the direction of strengthening of the Imam..."
      • "Someone in the armed forces will have acted against the principle of abiding by the guardianship should he vote for anyone who is not pursuing the strengthening the guardianship... Many obstacles existed in the path of the Islamic revolution. In this context, one can talk of a few examples of discord, for example: the liberals and the [Iran] Freedom Movement; the imposed war; Bani-Sadr and the hypocrites [reference to the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization]; the household of [Grand Ayatollah] Montazeri and [the brother of his son-in-law] Mehdi Hashemi; the reformists and the liberal secular movement; and the sedition of 2009, which was composed of technocrats, the aristocracy and the secular movement which cooperated with the United States, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan and united leftists and rightists alike..."
      • "The National Front and the Freedom Movement were reformist movements based upon secularism. But the Imam had a revolutionary view based upon the presence of religion in all aspects [of life]. Was the problem solved by the marginalization of the liberal and nationalist movement? No. This issue was echoed in the [conflict] between Bani-Sadr and the Imam [Khomeini], the differences between the Assembly of Clerics and the Clerical Assembly, factionalism in the Islamic Republican Party and even in the conflict between the Leader [Khomeini] and his deputy [Grand Ayatollah Montazeri]..."
      • "In the era of the technocrats [reference to the Rafsanjani era], they prioritized human rights over religious commandments. This view differs from that of the Imam, and we see examples of this view during the government of reform [reference to the Khatami era]..."
      • "The footprint of this thought can still be seen today, even at the level of sources of emulation. We see a source of emulation say that we should stop nuclear activities because of the sensitivities of the enemy..."
      • "Just imagine what would happen if this thought existed in the [Assembly of] Experts... The Supreme Leader said at a meeting: 'There is no way to preserve the revolution except by resisting the United States.' This thought is correct. Of course, there are also opposing views. In order to defend the ideals and the oppressed people of Palestine, an ideological defense is needed. The other point of view, which says first us and then Gaza and Lebanon, is reactive."
• According to Tehran-e Emrooz, Tehran has the highest record of "social corruption," Isfahan has the highest murder rate and Sistan va Balouchestan province boasts the highest rate of assassinations in Iran.

Nuclear Issue

• Kayhan's editorial writes that support from the West to the "sedition of 2009" did not aim to topple the regime "in which they did not believe," but instead attempted to "soften Iran's position" on the nuclear issue.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Azadeh Ardakani, National Museum director, following the orders of Baghayi, Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism director, says the National Museum of Iran has hitherto identified 800 historical artifacts in two European countries. According to Ardakani, these objects have been "smuggled" out of Iran.
• A man is arrested in Golpayegan following his claims that he is the Imam of the Era.

Photos of the Day

• The Islamic Republic of Iran's political vaccination card proves immunity towards "the Den of Espionage [the United States Embassy in Tehran]," "Tabas [the United States hostage rescue operation]," "Nozheh coup," "Abol-Hassan Bani-Sadr," "Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization," "Mehdi Hashemi," "Saddam's Invasion," "18th of Tir [reference to the June 12, 2009 presidential election]," and "the Green sedition."