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

• Friday Prayer sermons:

  • Audio of Supreme Leader Khamenei's Friday Prayer sermon (parts 1 and 2).
  • Supreme Leader Khamenei's Friday Prayer sermon in Tehran:
    • "[In the three decades of the Islamic Republic] factionalism and conflict has at times been due to conflicting interests and on other occasions been based on differences of opinion with regard to realization of the principles. One must deal them separately...
    • [In dealing with Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan's transitional government and the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization], the Imam [Khomeini] would initially show tolerance and would give advice, but when this method did not generate any result, he would be decisive... Such behavior was even seen in the Imam [Khomeini's] dealings with individuals higher than president to the degree that the Imam dealt [harshly] with some towards whom tolerance did not work [a reference to Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri]...
    • There were some who attempted to infuse wrong interpretations into the body and soul of the regime and when the Imam felt this threat he abandoned tolerance and showed decisive action...Presence of individuals and movements critical of the regime and with different viewpoints is to the benefit of the country as long as such difference of opinion is within the frameworks of the principles, which means Islam, the constitution and the guidelines and the Last Will of the Imam, and not what they call 'principles' which in reality are alien to the foundations and principles of the revolution...
    • Contrary to the propaganda, if an individual or a movement has an oppositional belief or is a deviator, the regime has no problem with him, but if a movement attempts to deal blows to the regime or shows a naked sword to the revolution, the regime in Iran in self defense will be decisive with them - as any other regime in the world would do... The opposition of international plunderers and colonialists including the United States and Britain and the enmity of Zionist scoundrels against Iran is a source of pride of the nation and should not be source of fear to anyone, and should not make anyone capitulate to the enemy. Pious and independence loving nations all over the world and independent politicians are supporters of this nation and this regime and this front shows the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic."
    • "Beware of those who want to use the Quds Day in order to plant discord among the believers."
  • Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda, Mashhad Friday Prayer Leader:
    • "In this country, political movements and elements who mask themselves as elites in the political arenas along with movements outside the country who want to suck the blood of the people, are the enemies of the Guardian Jurist and the Leader because they know that as long as the nation follow the Guardian and consider the Guardian and rule of God as their guide, they will not be subjected to their [the enemies] command."
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mohammad-Ali Sadoughi, Yazd Friday Prayer Leader:
    • "The Quds Day is a torn in the eyes of the enemies and the world imperialism and we must all keep this day dear and as before go to the streets and shout their hatred against the usurping regime of Israel."
  • Ayatollah Yousef Tabatabayi-Nezhad, Isfahan Friday Prayer Leader:
    • "I am asking this question bluntly: Why is Mr. Mousavi who played the lead role in these events not arrested…? Why have you put some youth on trial who confess they were misled by some individuals…? This year's Quds Day demonstration must be even greater because of the unsuitable deeds of some following the glorious popular participation in election... The voice of those who urge the public to go to the streets with green symbols on Quds Day should be silenced..."
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mohammad-Taghi Sarfi-Pour, Pol-e-Dokhtar Friday Prayer Leader:
    • "The people and especially the students should beware of the Sumerian calves and through obedience of the absolute guardianship of the Jurist neutralize the enemies' attempts at planting discord...The planners of soft warfare have invested in the elites, the intellectuals and university academics to establish a network and recruit...The defeated candidates want to plant discord among the people."

• Amir-Mansour Borghei to be appointed Deputy Foreign Minister.

• Karrubi says he has delivered three documents on compact discs to the authorities.

• Karrubi in an open letter to Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani says he has documentation on the IRGC chief ordering the Health Minister not to deliver information about individuals wounded or killed  in the post-election unrest.

• Wife of the late Ayatollah Beheshti says the Office of the Preservation of the Works of Martyr Beheshti has been closed down by the authorities.

• Agah-Sazi releases Morteza Alviri's last interview prior to his arrest in which he says Iran has descended into a state of military curfew.

• Alef News Agency claims Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani conspires against the regime at a luxury restaurant in London.

• Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Khalili, a member of the clerical faction of the parliament, says the Ahmadinejad government's relationship with the clergy is "unacceptable."

Diplomacy

• Parsineh News claims the Obama administration has offered the Islamic Republic 16 Airbus planes in exchange for frozen Iranian assets in the United States.

• Presidential adviser Mohammad-Ali Ramin predicts that Ahmadineajd will play a "central role" during his visit to the United Nations General Secretary and that should Obama accept Ahmadineajd's invitation to participate in a televised debate "Ahmadineajd would win."

• Plans are underway to expand the Lebanon branch of the Azad University.

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) elaborates on the new package of proposals to the 5+1 group but noted that Tehran would not negotiate its nuclear program.

• [E] Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says an attack on Iran "would be very dangerous, unacceptable, this would lead to an explosion of terrorism, increase the influence of extremists." He added: "I doubt very much that such strikes would achieve their stated goal."

• [E] Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman expresses optimism about Iran’s new proposal.  

• [E] Head of Russian Center for Policy Studies, Vladimir Orlov, lashes out at West’s intentions to impose new sanctions on Iran.

• [E] Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang YU says China considers Iran’s new package of proposals as ‘a strategy’. "We are now studying the package of proposals," she said, adding that her country seeks a peaceful and long-term settlement for Iran's nuclear dispute with the Security Council members.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Tabnak News Agency reports increased activity of Bahais and conversion to Zoroasterianism and Wahabism in Iran.

• A source close to Grand Ayatollah Sistani says a number of religious leaders in Iran have invited the Grand Ayatollah to travel to Iran to solve the post-election crisis.

Human Rights

• Zohreh Ashtiani, E'temad-e Melli journalist, arrested.

Military and Security

• Major General of the Basij Firouz-Abadi, Chief of the General Staff at the presentation ceremony of Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, Defense Minister: "If we don't resist America and Israel in Lebanon and Palestine, tomorrow we must engage in war with Israel and America at the sacred frontiers of Iran."

• Hojjat al-Eslam Mehdi Ta'eb, Professor at the seminary attacks comments of the IRGC chief Ja'fari against reformist theoreticians: "By his disclosures, commander Ja'fari lived up to his legal and religious duty in defense of preservation of the Islamic revolution..."

• [E] Iran’s Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says Iran’s arms exports have nearly doubled in recent years. "Despite sanctions imposed on the country, the defense sector has seen its exports increased by 1.5 times." Vahidi added that Iran was preparing for a "major leap" in its defense sector. In 2007, former Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar revealed that Iran was exporting its defense products to over 50 countries.

• Agah-Sazi News Agency accuses the following individuals of direct invovlement in torture cases at Kahrizak Dentention Center:

  • Parliamentarian Hossein Fadaei
  • Law Enforcement Forces Deputy Ahmad-Reza Radan
  • Masoud Sadr al-Eslam, a certain commander of the Revolutionary Guards and the former deputy of Law Enforcement Forces. According to the agency, the real name of this individual is "Commander Engineer Taha Taheri" also known as "Masoud Sadr al-Eslam," "Masoud Saleh," and "Sadr." Agah-Sazi says this individual's brother is "Martyr Taleb Taheri," who was kidnapped by the Mojahedin-e Khalgh Organization and tortured to death. Sadr al-Eslam is believed to be the founder of a new security organization called Nirou-ha-ye Vizheh-ye Pasdar-e Velayat (NOUPOU) [Guardians of the Guardianship Special Forces] which according to one account is accused of having directed suppression of the 1999 student uprisings. 

Economy

• [E] Iran’s Oil Minister Masoud Mir Kazemi is elected as Alternate President of the OPEC Conference in 2010.

Photos of the Day

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at Tehran Friday Prayers.

• Hojjat al-Eslam Hassan Khomeini breaks the fast in the company of orphans at an institution supported by Imam Khomeini Relief Committee.