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

 

Iran’s Intelligence Agency places ban on memorial services for late Montazeri; Ahmadinejad says Copenhagen summit showed defeat of capitalist regimes; Larijani says Iran, Egypt pursue similar policy against Israel; Iran’s security forces reportedly step up suppression of Sufis; Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman says Iran waiting for G5+1 response on nuclear swap

Politics

  • Ahmadinejad tells family members of the martyrs from Iran/Iraq war that "those resisting the Islamic revolution are being unmasked and are collapsing."

  • Rafsanjani's speech to the clergy on the occasion of the month of Muharram:

    • "Since the very beginning of the revolution, the Monafeghin[hypocrites, reference to the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization] have attempted to physically assassinate or tarnish the reputation of any clerical personality who did not follow their ideological deviations. This also happens today, but they are dressed in different garbs..."

    • "Should anyone think that they can solve the problems by creating an atmosphere of fear, they are wrong. Should they even manage to solve the problem temporarily, the problem will soon manifest itself in a greater shape..."

  • Tehran Islamic City Council is considering naming a highway "Ayatollah Montazeri Highway."

  • The Intelligence Ministry issues a country-wide ban on memorial services for the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri.

    • Hojjat al-Eslam Ahmad Montazeri, son of the late Grand Ayatollah, in an interview with BBC Persian criticizes the Intelligence Ministry for prohibiting memorial services and complains about attacks by the government agents against those who assembled to pay their last respect to the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri.  Video.

    • Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani urges the people of Zanjan to arrange a memorial service for Montazeri.

  • Alef News Agency contradicts claims by the opposition sources that more than a million people participated at Montazeri's funeral, and says the numbers was closer to 12,000 people.

  • Reza Moradi Ghiasabadi resigns from the Academy of Arts in protest against the dismissal of Mir-Hossein Mousavi from the academy.

  • Iraj Fazel, Head of Academy of Medicine, is dismissed after criticizing the imprisonment of political activists.

Diplomacy

  • Ahmadinejad addressing the people of Fars Province says, "The Copenhagen summit led to the defeat of capitalist regimes and the people of the world discovered that they were only thinking about their own interests..."

  • [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani underlined that Iran and Egypt do not differ in strategies regarding Israel. Larijani, who returned from a four-day visit to Egypt on Wednesday, told reporters that Iran and Egypt did not vary in strategies when it came to Israel. "There may be differing views in tactics (over Israel) between Iran and Egypt but the strategies of the two countries are not different," press tv quoted Larijani as saying.

Military and Security

  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mojtaba Zolnour, Deputy Representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards, addressing Basij members in Bushehr:

    • "Dealing with the leaders of the discord has its own time, and when the time comes, we will act forcefully..."

    • "The regime has enough documents to deal with them. Don't think the regime is incapable of dealing with them. We have changed the behavior of people more important than them...Everything has its own time. Should there be any physical engagement with them, it could ignite this conflict..."

    • "Even if all the three heads of the discord are imprisoned at a detention center, nothing will happen, since dealing with each of them would be in its own manner. Sometimes there is the need for physical engagement, other times non-physical engagement is needed..."

  • Commander Radan, Law Enforcement Forces Deputy, warns against "illegal gatherings" during the month of Muharram.

  • Basij Chief Naghdi says opposing the Supreme Leader is greater a sin than drinking alcohol, and urges the Basij members to fight against deviation.

  • [E] Iranian and Omani armed forces held joint rescue drills off the coast of the Persian Gulf.

Media

Religion, Society and Culture

Economy

  • Markazi Province, one of the industrial centers of Iran, is dealing with labor protests because of delayed payment of workers. The wives of the workers also took part in the demonstrations in front of Arak Islamic City Council. Some 250 workers at one of the main textile factories have not been paid for five months.

  • The Central Bank asks the Iranian public not to write political slogans on currency bills and warns that the banks will no longer accept them.

Nuclear Issue

Photos of the Day