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

• According to Tehran-e Emrooz,Rafsanjani's attempt to make Azad University into a waqf has been defeated.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Hamid Rasaei accuses Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani of abusing funds from the Azad University to finance "the discord."

Military and Security

• IRGC head Mohammad-Ali Jafari says the "discord" was in reality the struggle between "poverty" and "wealth."
• Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi, questioned by the parliament about his claim that the "heads of the discord" have received "$17 billion from the United States and Saudi Arabia," says that "the discord operates in a complicated way and no individual has received money." 
• Asr-e Iran reports a shootout between Intelligence Ministry forces and four alleged MKO members in a vehicle in Tehran.

Economy

• As the U.S. dollar reaches new heights against the rial, Mahmoud Bahmani, Central Bank director, says the bank will offer dollars in the market at a fix rate (around 10,000 rials to the dollar), which makes Donya-ye Eqtesad speculate about a return to the multiple exchange rates system of the 1980s.
  • Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi says the government will instruct the Central Bank to engage in unlimited selling of gold and foreign currency in order to stabilize the exchange rate.

Diplomacy

• [E]Iran’s envoy to the UN here on Tuesday underlined the need for restructuring of the international political and economic bodies in order to solve the world problems.
• [E]The Iranian nation and government 's awe and grandeur has bewildered and paralyzed the hegemonic powers, specially the US, and made them adopt passive policies against the country, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday.

Trade

• Ali Arshi, international affairs director of the National Iranian Oil Company, says the first Iranian-produced gasoline is ready for export to the international market.
  • [E] An Iranian oil official underlined the country's self-sufficiency in supplying Iran's gasoline needs through domestic production
  • Mohammad-Hassan Peyvandi, Petrochemical Industries Federation secretary, says increased production of petrochemicals depends on development of the South Pars oil and gas field.
• According to Tehran-e Emrooz,the currency crisis was caused by the "financial relations between Iran and the UAE"
  • "According to news from the Sheikhdom of the Emirates, U.S. unilateral sanctions against Iran have led to increased U.S. pressure on UAE banks. Pressures which became more serious towards the end of the past week. Therefore, the currency exchange between the two countries has experienced trouble."
  • Pedram Soltani, Iran Chamber of Commerce member, explains: "One can't deal with countries like Turkey and Armenia with other currencies than their national currencies. Should these countries accept [Iran] operating with their national currencies, there are technical problems in this regard and organizing this volume of trade towards the Turkish Lira and the Armenian currency would be difficult and time consuming...”

Religion, Society and Culture

• Grand Ayatollah Vahid Khorasani preaching in Qom: "A single prayer of the Imam of the Era is enough to rescue the country."

Human Rights

• Family members of three young men who were killed at Kahrizak Detention Center pardon two law enforcement forces officers who were sentenced to death, but they demand prosecution of "the individuals ordering the murders [at Kahrizak]."

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, announces that Iran is set to inject fuel into the Bushehr nuclear power plant reactor.

Photo of the Day

• End of the Iran-Iraq War siege of Abadan.