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]. 

Politics

• Hojjat al-Eslam Ebrahim Kalantari, Representative of the Supreme Leader to Tehran University:

  • "Most certainly at the beginning of the academic year there may be an attempt to disrupt the calm atmosphere at the universities but I consider it unlikely that such attempt could radicalize the atmosphere since the vigilance of the students and the professors neutralizes all attempts at unrest at the university...The majority of students must seriously...engage in academic work and not lose academic opportunities and pursue studies far away from artificially tense atmospheres..."
  • "Dealing decisively with those who want to disrupt the works of the regime and create an atmosphere of crisis is a necessity since such individuals have done injustice to the regime and the blood of the martyrs and decisively dealing with such a person is a public demand..."
  • "Also those who claim to be regime supporters but direct the society towards crisis and in the name of defending the regime beats up members of the Student Basij, the elites and the innocent must be dealt with decisively since both groups have challenged the regime and created tensions..."
  • "As the Supreme Leader stressed in his meeting with the professors and the students one must deal with illegal behavior at every level since such irregularities are prelude to tension. Therefore one must counter the leaders and planners and heads of unrest in every group."

• Mohammad-Reza Bahonar, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, says the Supreme Leader did not send a written letter to the parliament to demand a vote of confidence to the second Ahmadinejad cabinet, expresses hope that Ahmadinejad does not delay appointment of the last three cabinet ministers for several months.

• Ahmadinejad speaking at the Law Enforcement Forces Academy: "The enemies attempted to tarnish the greatness of the unprecedented presence and solidarity of the Iranian nation [at the presidential election] through a complicated conspiracy...Those who after decades of shouting democracy and the right of self determination used their wealth, media and might in order to impose their will upon the nations, but saw that an entire nation has entered the arena..."

  • [E] Ahmadinejad says Iran’s 10^th presidential election was “a historic slap” in the face of the West’s “shaky liberal democracy.”

Nuclear Issue

•  [E] International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei says positive progress has been achieved in work with Iran and calls on Tehran for further cooperation with the U.N. body.

•  [E] Over a hundred Non-Aligned Movement member states voice support to an imitative by Iran to ban attacks on its nuclear sites and facilities.

• [E] Iran’s Foreign Minister tells his Brazilian counterpart that the two countries can play major roles in new world order, including cooperating in global nuclear disarmament. Manouchehr Mottaki added: "The United States is now faced with problems in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and in Palestine and it is necessary for Washington to begin a pathological study of its behavior in those regions." Jaguaribe Gomes de Mattos said that Brazil, like before, supports Iran's right to have access to full cycle of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, adding, "Sanctions would never be able to black the righteous path of nations for materializing their major objectives."

Religion, Society and Culture

• Ahmad Safi in an interview with Al-'Alam refutes rumors on poor health of Grand Ayatollah Sistani and says the Grand Ayatollah has not been gone to London.

Military and Security

• Commander Eraghi, Mohammad Rasoul-Allah IRGC Unit chief in Tehran:

  • "No one predicted what outcome this election would have. There were also some who were concerned about popular participation in election and some concerned about the victory of the reformists..."
  • "Three scenarios were predicted. One, a Principalist candidate wins, which happened and we saw the result. Second, Mr. Mousavi and the reformists win and we had predicted post-election parties. Third, a second round of election...The frictions began from the afternoon of the election day by setting trash cans ablaze and skirmishes with the Law Enforcement Forces. Until then the Basij had no mission..."
  • "Red alert was declared in Tehran and Tehran was deemed a security zone as we saw really heavy skirmishes in Tehran neighborhoods such as Narmak, Tehran-Pars, and Qeytariyeh and the city was truly stricken by unrest...But forceful presence of the Basij along with other operatives led to control of the arena of the skirmishes by the Basij forces..."
  • "At the street level we witnessed two groups: Those engaged in unrest, and those engaged in peaceful demonstration...The demonstration group was directed by an organization called the Vote Organization about which neither the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence nor the Intelligence Ministry had much knowledge. The organization was composed of 300,000 individuals connected with each other in a pyramid shape organization and it was them who controlled the arena and made their forces go to the streets...This pyramid was directed by educated people who through the internet suddenly directed their forces in and out of certain parts of the city in controlled movements. At traffic jams they even cooperated with the Law Enforcement Forces [to secure smooth traffic.]..."
  • "After the illuminating Friday Prayer sermon of the Supreme Leader there was organizational dissolution among some of the ignorant forces who had demonstrated, but unfortunately the statements of the Combatant Clergy Association with regard to demonstrations as a way of showing opposition to the regime and showing disobedience was indeed urging the public to show civil disobedience. At this point the Guards, the Basij and the Law Enforcement Forces and other operatives decided to stop disobedience..."
  • "According to foreign sources a total of 36 died during the unrest, 3 died in Kahrizak [Detention Center] and 10 individuals whose place of death has been defined and the rest still undefined and unknown by whom..."

Diplomacy

• Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi expresses readiness to help Yemen tackle prevailing problems in the country. "Iran has always supported Yemeni nation and government in different situations," Qashqavi adds.

Photo of the Day

• Graduation ceremony at the Law Enforcement Forces Academy.