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

  • Former Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Hossein Saffar-Harandi comments internal dynamics of the ninth cabinet:
    • "My main issue during that cabinet session was the issue of Mr. [Esfandiar Rahim-] Mashaei remaining as first vice president. This was contrary to the viewpoint of the Leader and the meeting was not legitimate... Then the president left the meeting and we started protesting. After this, prior to the next cabinet meeting, I and one of the other cabinet ministers were called and we were told 'your successors have been found, ready yourself to deliver the position. But since the cabinet would lose its majority, Mr. Ahmadinejad changed his opinion and I was approached in order to ignore what had been said before and since I was in favor of the government, I chose to remain in the cabinet to the end of the tenure..."
    • Commenting on the merger of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization with the Cultural Heritage Organization Saffar-Harandi said: "Mr. Ahmadinejad committed a mistake and we said that we know the Lord's [Khamenei] viewpoint would be against it. But he did not listen. In reality, if I must speak of his weak points in these regards, he did not listen to well wishing advice..."
  • Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, appoints Abbas Masjedi as his representative in dealings with the cabinet and the parliament.
  • The Student Basij at Amir Kabir University demands Rafsanjani to "deliver his son to the Judiciary."
  • [E] Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said on Thursday that oil is the key to victory of Muslims in the Middle East.

Diplomacy

Military and Security

Nuclear Issue

  • Supreme Leader Khamenei:
    • "None of the nuclear powers abides by international treaties regulating nuclear arms. They don't act according to them and they visibly lie, but when other states pursue nuclear technology they are accused of not abiding with international treaties because these powers do not want any rival...We have said on numerous occasions that we do not want to use weapons of mass destruction but the Iranian nation will not capitulate in the face of such threats and bullying behavior and will force them to their knees..."
    • "With what right does the president of the United States make nuclear threats against the Iranian nation? This threat is a threat against international peace and security and the humanity. No one in the world must be allowed even to express such threats..."
    • "The Iranian nation will not allow the Americans once again to reestablish their infernal hegemony in Iran with such threats..."
  • Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says "Iran is the place for exchange of nuclear fuel."
  • The Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi says the Bushehr nuclear plant is scheduled to come on stream this summer.
  • Ahmadinejad outlines five steps for global de-nuclearization.

Trade

  • Foreign Minister Mottaki receives Turkey’s Foreign Minister: "If certain European countries do not desire to engage in trade with us, we don't insist upon it."

Religion, Society and Culture

Iran in the Afghan Media

  • Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the execution of six Afghan citizens in Iran.
  • The recent executions of dozens of Afghan citizens in Iran have drawn angry reactions from Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission and the Afghan parliamentarians. 
  • Kabul and Tehran are working on an agreement for exchange of prisoners.
  • Afghanistan National Assembly’s upper house has called on the government to send a senior delegation to Iran to probe cases of Afghan citizens facing death penalty in Iran.
  • [E] The bodies of two Afghans executed in Iran have been transferred to the capital of western Nimroz province. Haji Rozi, an Afghan trader in Iran, said around 11 Afghans had been put to death in that country over the past few days. Iranian border guards also shot and injured four Afghans trying to sneak into Iran for work without travel documents.
 

Photos of the Day