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, please visit this page, fill out the "New Subscribers" section, and check "Iran News Round Up" listed under "Projects." 
 
(E) = Article in English

 

Politics

  • Supreme Leader Khamenei: "The heads of the sedition were instruments in the hands of foreign planners."
  • Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, temporary Tehran Friday prayer leader:
    • "Unfortunately, under the current circumstances things are done in the parliament, for example questioning of the cabinet ministers by the parliament... Dear parliamentarian, these cabinet ministers want to work. They have to struggle day and night to ensure the reform of the subsidies system progresses in the right way. A single question of yours takes 10 to 20 hours of his time and he must talk with his deputies and advisers so he can defend himself in the parliament after which that gentlemen [the parliamentarian who has questioned the minister] says 'we are not satisfied.' Is this right?"
    •  "The judiciary is not happy with the court ruling to lash the son of a martyr... but the Judiciary is functioning very well and one must thank Mr. Sadegh Larijani...."
    • "God and the Imam of the Era support it [the reform of the subsidies scheme] because they want to establish justice. This is exactly what this scheme will do."
  • Hamidreza Taraghi, Motalefeh International Affairs deputy: "Khatami played the role of the fifth column of the enemy."
  • According to Abrar, the Presidency's internal bulletin has for the past two months not quoted any stories from newspapers critical of the government; i.e., Abrar, Tehran-e Emrooz, Shargh, Arman, Farhikhtegan, San'at, and Asrar.
  • The Oil Minister replaces Ali Vakili and appoints Mousa Souri to head the Pars Oil and Gas Company director. Souri was previously executive director of the Pars Special Energy Zone Organization.

Diplomacy

  • Al-Mustaqbal says postponement of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei's visit to Lebanon is due to domestic criticism against Mashaei.
  • Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, temporary Tehran Friday prayer leader:
    • "I don't know what enmity they [authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan] have with the people? The people are Muslims and want their daughters to go to school with the hijab. Why do you want to remove this piece of textile from their heads? What is the necessity? We condemn this anti-Islamic move of the government of Azerbaijan."
  • Sobh-e Sadegh praises Mohammad Marandi's "defense of the revolution in the headquarters of the Great Satan," a reference to his participation at panels arranged by the New America Foundation and New Century Foundation (sic).

Military and Security

Nuclear Issue

Economy

Trade

Religion, Society and Culture

  • Communications Minister Reza Taghipour says the "Great Intranet" scheme will "purify the internet" and no "dirty sites" will be allowed.
  • Mehran Modiri's imitation of Los Angeles-based Iranian TV anchors becomes an instant hit on Youtube.
  • Asr-e Iran discusses book censorship, and gives one example of a sentence which censors demanded be removed: "At the National Library of Hong Kong they have 12 million books, but our own National Library barely has 1 million."
  • [E] A Boeing-727 plane carrying 105 passengers and crews crashed last night in the suburbs of the city of Orumiyeh in Northwestern Iran, killing at least 77 people and injuring 27 more.

Iran in the Afghan Media

Photo of the Day