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

• Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, temporary Tehran Friday prayer leader, answers reports on plans for the Revolutionary Guards to manage theological seminaries: "The theological seminary of Qom and the majority of the seminarians are - thanks to divine wisdom - supporters of the Islamic regime and they will not retreat a single step... The enemies will take the hope of separation of the theological seminaries from the Islamic regime and the guardianship of the jurist, to grave... As long as we are Islamic, we have had and will have enemies..."
• Supreme Leader Khamenei to visit Qom.

Military and Security

• Mohammad-Mousa Rasooli, Security Chief in Afghanistan’s Nimrooz province, provides a detailed explanation of Iranian arms and mines confiscated while being transported into Afghanistan.

Nuclear Issue

• "Informed" Iranian sources accuse Russian nuclear experts of having infected the Bushehr Nuclear Plant computers with a virus.

Trade

• As the U.S. dollar declines against the rial - following interventions of the government, the price of gold increases.
  • Central Bank authorities announce that their involvement in stabilization of the currency market is not a temporary measure.
• Iran and Belarus expand copper cooperation.
• South Korea suspends activities of the Bank-e Mellat.
• Parsine criticizes the transfer of Martyr Rajayi Port Facility’s management to China.

Society and Culture

• Fatemeh Mir-Aboutalebi, wife of the Iranian ambassador to France: "I think ladies are more emotional. In my view it could be related to their physiognomy. Do you know why women become mothers? Because in their head, there is a certain tumor which is only for women, both in humans and among animals. This is part of the head of women which directs emotions among them. Because women are very emotional and caring and merciful, when they want to give testimony in courts their emotions may hinder them in doing so and they may not take correct decisions."

Photos of the Day

• Iranian soccer captain forced to replace his green arm band with a yellow band.