Iran News Roundup July 20, 2010

Politics

• Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani says her father is "deeply concerned about the future of the country." She adds her father was contacted to perform the Tehran Friday prayers at Tehran University, but he would not accept the invitation.
• [E] The Iranian Parliament modified the country's copyright law to grant creators of an original work permanent right to copy, distribute and adapt the work.

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad: "The enemies of this nation speak of dialogue, but they must know that cowboy methods have no place in Iran. They must enter negotiations with logic so they can receive an answer in kind. We are a patient nation and warn them to avoid the abyss."
• Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Baghdad ends his tenure.
• Foreign Ministry spokesman Mehmanparast condemns "human rights abuses in Canada," demands an explanation about mistreatment of demonstrators in Toronto.
• [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki outlines Tehran's solution to the Afghan crisis.
  • [E] “Military options…will be to no avail in the country,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast.
  • [E] Afghan Parliament Speaker Yunus Qanuni praised Iran for its support and aid to the Afghan people and called for a regional approach towards the settlement of problems in Afghanistan.
  • [E] Mottaki and his Afghan counterpart Zalmai Rassoul held a meeting on the sidelines of the UN sponsored Kabul International Conference to discuss regional and international issues.
• [E] In rejecting the US Congress’ offer of talks with Iran, head of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said, “Given the United States' continued inimical positions against Iran, studying the issue at the Commission was fully obviated.”
• [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and his Syrian counterpart Mahmoud al-Abrash urged the parliaments of Islamic countries to set up a fund to help Gazans.

Military and Security

• Reactions to terrorist attack in Zahedan:
  • Ahmadinejad accuses NATO of providing intelligence and logistics to the terrorists involved in the Zahedan attack.
  • Interior Minister Mohammad-Mostafa Najjar accuses the Mossad of masterminding the terrorist attack in Zahedan.
  • Kayhan's editorial condemns the United States for "masterminding" the terrorist attack in Zahedan, slams reconsideration of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization's status as a terrorist organization.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Salek says appointment of General Petraeus was an indication of intensified United States supported terrorist attacks against Iran which has now materialized.
  • Revolutionary Guards Ground Forces deputy Abdollah Eraghi says the terrorist attack shows the weakness of the enemy.
  • Raja News writes the Pakistani intelligence service is responsible for the terrorist attack in Zahedan. Link upon request.
• Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says one submarine armed with special weapons has been added to the Islamic Republic Navy fleet.

Nuclear Issue

• Ali Larijani, speaker of the parliament, tells an Inter-parliamentary Conference in Geneva says Iran welcomes nuclear negotiations.
  • Meeting the United Nations General Secretary, Larijani said Iran’s nuclear achievements are "national achievements" and that "Iran will not withdraw in the face of pressure."
• Heydari Kord-e Zangeneh, Iran Privatization Organization director, says the privatization trend in Iran is "among the healthiest of its kind."
• [E] The Iranian parliament passed a bill on Tuesday requiring the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to enrich uranium to 20% purity in order to supply nuclear fuel to the country's research and training reactors.
• [E] European Union foreign ministers are set to adopt tighter sanctions against Iran next week while voicing support for more talks on Tehran's nuclear issue.

Economy

• According to Iran, 80% of state companies have left Tehran.

Iran in the Afghan Media

·         Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki criticized the role of foreign troops in Afghanistan in a speech at the Kabul Conference. He said the presence of foreign forces had not only failed to improve the situation, but had worsened it. He blamed the coalition forces for rising drugs production and poverty in Afghanistan, and urged for “regional solutions” and “Afghanization” of efforts to end the Afghan problems. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a former Afghan finance minister moderating the conference, interrupted Mottaki at one point, asking him to focus on the relevant topic and end his speech.

o   Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul has previously described Iran’s participation in the Kabul Conference as “extraordinarily important”.

·         Afghanpaper refutes Fars News Agency’s report that about 1.5 million Afghans are employed in Iran.

Photo of the Day

·         Coffins of the martyrs of Zahedan