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

• Meeting poets and writers, Khamenei says the post-election unrest has been "soft warfare... a military engagement.

• Ahmadinejad meets Iranian and international press:

  • "During the past couple of months the Iranian nation managed to free itself of some hangers-on to its feet which made the nation's progress slower. The nation managed to cleanse the robe of the revolution of this filth and took a step towards purity...”

• Presidential appointments:

  • Baztab News says Ebrahim Azizi will be appointed First Vice President.
  • Fatemeh Alia to be appointed Education Minister and Ali Zabihi as Energy Minister.
  • Ahmadinejad appoints Majid Namjou as acting Energy Minister, Mohsen-Pour as acting Education Minister and Nad-Ali Olfat-Pour as acting Welfare and Social Security Minister.

• Disclosures about Supreme Leader Khamenei’s role in the parliament's vote of confidence for Ahmadinejad's cabinet candidates:

  • Parliamentarian Ali Mottahari:
    • "The Supreme Leader decided to send a message [to the parliament] because of certain circumstances, but I find the necessity of this act difficult to comprehend...The vote of confidence shows that had it not been for the recommendation of the Supreme Leader most certainly 7 to 8 of Ahmadinejad's cabinet candidates would not have gained a vote of confidence..."
    • "The Supreme Leader can make his position be known like any other influential individual. What counts is that no decree or order was issued. In extraordinary circumstances such as war issuing a decree is not problematic...The message of the Supreme Leader was not an order, but a recommendation. Speaker of the Parliament [Ali Larijani] conveyed this message before the parliament began its negotiations Thursday…."
    • "As far as I know the sources of emulation had not approved of female candidates, but the parliament gave a vote of confidence. But in such matters the decision is taken based on the opinion of the Guardian Jurist..."
  • Parliamentarian Esmail Kowsari verifies a variety of Mottahari's account of the parliamentary process:
    • "There was no message [from Supreme Leader Khamenei]. He had made his opinion be known and said 'I too am interested that the majority of the cabinet candidates gain a vote [of confidence].' This was neither a message nor an order. He had spoken with Mr. [Ali] Larijani and said that it was his opinion that the majority of the candidates are endorsed."
  • Ahmadinejad advisor Ali-Akbar Javanfekr condemns such statements as an "insult" against integrity of the parliament.
  • Sobh-e Sadegh editorial praises the parliament's vote of confidence.

• Responses to IRGC 's use of the confessions from the Tehran show trials in order to launch attack against the reformist camp:

  • Hojjat al-Eslam Hossein Hashemian, head of the Path of the Blessed Imam parliamentary faction, defends Ayatollah Mousavi Khoeini-ha and Behzad Nabavi, attacks IRGC Ja'fari and demands Ja'fari be prosecuted for his statements.
  • Karrubi: "His statements should be discussed in three ways. First of all I do not consider it expedient for the Guards to intervene in political affairs. Secondly, he quotes prisoners of whom there is no news, and thirdly there is the issue of some gentlemen who are not imprisoned and they themselves should say if they are quoted correctly or not."
  • Combatant Clergy Association to file a formal complaint against Ja'fari because of his allegations against the association.
  • Agah-Sazi's analyst says the IRGC is depicting critics of the election as opponents of the Supreme Leader.
  • Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, daughter of the former president, says the Islamic Republic will soon neither be Islamic nor a republic.
  • Former President Mohammad Khatami defends himself against the accusations, stresses that he has always been loyal towards the regime.
  • Motalefeh Spokesman Anbarlouyi praises the Revolutionary Guards "disclosure" of "documented" crimes of the reformists.

• Mousavi issues another statement in which he gives his perspectives on how to return to calm and tranquility in society.

  • Kayhan claims Mousavi's latest statement derives from CIA manuals.

• Grand Ayaollah Montazeri addressing Office of Consolidation of Unity student organization:

  • "Today, when some people speak of the regime, in reality they are speaking about a single individual. But this is not correct. Preservation of the regime is not a necessity related to a single individual. The aim is the preservation of the regime so that the commandments of Islam are performed. But today, unfortunately they arrest people in the name of Islam and they coerce them to make baseless confessions. This is all contrary to Islam..."
  • "Many of the people who played a role in the victory of the revolution and are revolutionary today are unfortunately imprisoned now. Such coerced confessions are all contrary to Islam. They ignore the commandments of Islam and claim it is in order to preserve the regime. But the blessed Imam Khomeini said popular vote is the measure. Today they say bluntly that the measure is the opinion of a single individual. This is against the principles..."

• Motalefeh member Hassan Habibi says former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi's entourage was infiltrated by members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization in the 1980's and also slams Rafsanjani's letter to the Supreme Leader prior to the election and Rafsanjani's statements during his last Friday prayer appearance. [Link upon request.]

• Raja News slams New York Times' article on Supreme Leader Khamenei's condemnation of "Western humanities." [Link upon request].

• Mahmoud Salahi appointed Khorasan Razavi Governor.

Military and Security

• Former IRGC Chief Safavi predicts Israeli "discord" in the region in the shape of "activities near the Gaza strip, Lebanon or even Iran."

• Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh, senior presidential assistant, says the Basij acted as the "protective shield of the revolution" during the post election unrest.

• Former IRGC chief Safavi in an interview with Mehr News Agency: "The Americans and the British have reached the conclusion that they only can impose changes upon independent governments through soft threats...Unfortunately, because of the changes among some political groups and individuals, we are witnessing a geopolitical decline. This is exactly what the Western powers want to achieve in Iran... "

• Former IRGC chief Safavi:

  • "It seems that the defeat of American military strategy in Afghanistan will be even greater than in Iraq and the possibility of Afghanistan becoming another Vietnam for American and allied forces is increasing. On the other hand one must accept the reality that presence of 200,000 foreign forces in the region, especially in southwest Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East and their bases in the region along with military sales, billions of dollar worth of military equipment exports to Iraq, the Emirates, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia and plundering of oil resources of the countries constitute the main reason of insecurity in southwest Asia, the Persian Gulf region and Iran...
  • In my opinion, hatred and loathing of the Muslim populations, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq along with hatred of the Muslims of the world towards foreign presence in the region has reached a new height. On the other hand the recent security agreement between the U.S. Forces and NATO in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf and especially in the countries in the southern parts of the Persian Gulf and Iraq is a source of concern for Russia, China and Iran.
  • The Russians are concerned about American presence in Central Asia, the Chinese are concerned about American intervention in two great Muslim provinces which shares a border with Pakistan and Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran also considers the foreign presence as the reason for insecurity in the region and considers the invasion armies exit as the only way of creating security and tranquility...
  • After the issues of Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine the Americans are trying to instigate Iranophobia among Arab countries and during the past two years it has tried to convey the message that Israel does not constitute a threat to them, but Iran does... Because of the Iranophobia, the Americans have managed to sell billions of dollar worth of arms to Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates..."

• Yadollah Javani, IRGC Political Department Chief:

  • "Today it has become totally clear that increasing level of character assassination prior to the election aimed at marginalizing the Guards and was meant to strengthen the rioters. But they understood that the Guards would not allow any movement or group to attack the principles of the revolution...”
  • "During the reform-era we faced discord, but according to the Supreme Leader, we today face a deep discord...One of activities which took place at the Political Department of the Guards was to establish a network of Hadian-e Siyasi [Political Guides] and expansion of their organization to all the provinces and to the Basij. In this we succeeded to get together many experienced people with high knowledge..."
  • Javani concludes that Mir-Hossein Mousavi from the very beginning has been a "problematic element."

Human Rights

• The television program "20:30" shows footage from Kahrizak Detention Center and criticizes abuse of human rights.

• Wife of Javad Emam from the Mousavi campaign in a phone interview says her daughter has been kidnapped in order to pressure her imprisoned husband to make false confessions. Audio:

• Tehran show trials:

  • Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Mohammad Khatami government's spokesman, tells Parleman News:
    • "80 days after my arrest I have still not been told what offense I have been arrested for..."
    • "In this period, I have been interrogated on numerous occasions. During all the interrogations, the interrogator was masked and sat behind me and I never saw the interrogator."
    • "The interrogations would begin at 9 or 10 pm and would continue until 3 or 4 am in the morning..."
    • "During the interrogations they pressured me to make confessions of the like of Mr. Atrianfar's and Mr. Abtahi's and those responsible for my case would assure me that more pleasant conditions would be provided for me. Until now I have not accepted to participate in such an interview..."
    • "I was arrested when in the street...During my arrest, my adolescent son who was with me at the time was beaten up. My head was cut, a few of my rips too and parts of my body are still blue...There is still sign of my blood on my car...Under such conditions I was transferred to Evin Prison and after two days, despite my wounds they only gave me tissues in order to cover the wounds of my head..."
    • "Only after 76 days of solitary confinement was I allowed a meeting with my family."
    • "I was not tortured while imprisoned..."
  • Parliamentarian Abol-Fazl Fateh condemns the IRGC chief's use of "coerced confessions" as an instrument of attack against the reformist camp.

• Warrant issued for Ali Karrubi, son of Mehdi Karrubi, because of alleged "economic corruption."

• Ala al-Din Boroujerdi, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the parliament, says the list of 72 victims of the post election unrest provided by dissidents is "highly questionable."

• Raja News claims the Mosharekat [Participation] Front's attempts at badmouthing the Islamic Republic by increasing the death toll has been defeated through the authorities' "disclosure" that those who are claimed to have been killed are alive. [Link upon request].

Nuclear Issue

• The Islamic Republic's Ambassador to the IAEA refutes El-Baradei report's accusations against Iran.

Diplomacy

• Venezuela's President Chavez to meet Intelligence Minister, Defense Minister and Supreme National Security Council Secretary.

• Supreme Leader Khamenei to Hugo Chavez: "The Islamic Republic of Iran and Venezuela should through expansion of cooperation strengthen the front of independence...Continuous defeats and decreasing prestige and power of America is a sign of unavoidable change of the world... The conditions in Latin America have changed. An area which was once called the backyard of the United States has become a power in its own right..."

• Jordanian authorities shut the offices of Press TV and Al-Alam Television in Amman.

Trade

• E'temad explains "how the banks circumvented the European and American sanctions": "During the past couple of years, the West has sanctioned the largest banks of the country such as Bank-e Melli, Saderat, Mellat and Sepah to the degree that the financial activities of the banks has decreased significantly. On the other hand, Iran by using certain specialized and private banks is trying to regain lost opportunities. A report on the performance of the banking sector of the country last year shows that the foreign exchange financial activities has changed into banks not subjected to the sanctions and the private banks...On the other hand the foreign exchange financial activities of Bank-e Melli, Saderat, Sepah and Mellat which have been subjected to sanctions of the West has decreased...Foreign sanctions and domestic restrictions have made some opportunities for smaller and private banks to engage in foreign exchange trade and international trade...Even the Maskan Bank [Housing Bank] which due to its nature is engaged in the construction sector has entered this market [foreign exchange] and has taken over a significant part of it..."

• India pulls out of the Peace Pipeline project.

• Oil India to invest $5 billion in Iran's natural gas sector.

• Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez promises 20,000 barrels of gasoline per day to Iran.

• Basra Governor General: "Had it not been for water imports from Iran we would have died of thirst."

Religion, Society and Culture

• Hossein Anvari, Imam Khomeini Aid and Relief Committee Chief, says 800,000 pupils and 100,000 students at universities and theological seminaries receive aid from the committee.

• Venezuela's Hugo Chavez participates in Ahmadinejad's trip to Mashhad. Chavez tells the crowds: "The Messiah and the Mahdi are not dead, they are alive and they will soon return and will spread justice all over the world...This afternoon Imam Khamenei told us that as long as we two presidents united and are together in our hearts and minds, as long as we pursue the same humanistic deeds together and as long as we continue justice seeking deeds the Mahdi and the Messiah will emerge very soon. Therefore we must struggle so that his Holiness the Mahdi and the Messiah emerge so that they spread justice all over the world."

• Iranian academic Sajjadi predicts emergence of the Imam of the Era in 2010.

• Alef News Agency runs an article on the controversy of expansion of a Shi'a mosque in Copenhagen.

• The end of Ramadan this year will not be celebrated at the Khomeini's mausoleum south of Tehran.

  • Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, brother of the former president, deplores lack of ceremonies at the Khomeini mausoleum, especially if the decision was politically motivated, adds: "In a society where the Imam [Khomeini] and his household is not safe it is impossible to know where the revolution is heading."
  • E'temad reports that the list of speakers at the Masoumeh mausoleum in Qom has been purged of people such as Grand Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, Ebrahim Amini, Reza Ostadi and Nateq Nouri who have been replaced with Ahmadineajd supporters.

Photos of the Day

• Khamenei and Hugo Chavez.