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

  • Supreme Leader Khamenei addresses Basij members in Qom:
    • "In the sedition of 2009 many made mistakes; some of them corrected their mistakes later. But the great movement of the Basij did not take the wrong path and managed to remain in the path of the truth by preserving its insight... Sometimes, respectable public figures take the wrong path. Therefore, one must recognize the right and wrong path with insight, not by [trusting disgraced] public figures and individuals..." 
  • Opposing Supreme Leader Khamenei's statements about translation of Western books in the field of humanities, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff expresses his opposition to halting to translation of Western literature. Mahaei stressed:
    • "I do not believe that we should not translate foreign humanistic [literature] or that our students should not study them. I believe that the path of success in this field is development and production. We should have active chairs who by criticizing the work find the true thought... The East/West struggle must end. The West is not only the United States, and the United States is not only the ruling class [of the United States]. The West has been ill for some time and understands this pain more than us. It is in need of medicine and cure..."
    • In another controversial statement Mashaei talked about homosexuality in Iran: "At Columbia University the president talked for hours. Someone asked him why don't you allow homosexuality in your country? Answering this question Ahmadinejad explained that in our country there is no demand for homosexuality, unlike in your country... Translation of this answer of the president was misunderstood. For example, it was interpreted that there are no homosexuals in our country, and everyone laughed; they and were amazed that there are no homosexuals in Iran."
  • [E] A senior Iranian official underlined Iran's technical and scientific capabilities in different fields, including the nuclear technology, and described "negotiation" as the sole way for the West to resolve its nuclear dispute with Iran.
  • According to Tehran-e Emrooz, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, chose not to address the National Quran Festival following "student protests." Ahmadinejad tasked Hamid Baghayi, Iran Cultural Heritage Organization director general, who is ideologically close to Mashaei, to address the festival.

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