A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.
(E) = Article in English
Politics
- Presidential crisis:
- Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani, the head of the Assembly of Experts, warns against disunity: "The Principalists should not distribute the revolution as if it was sacrificial meat."
- Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi: "It is up to the people and not up to me whether or not the current of deviation should be rejected from the political system. Of course, it is the society which should not allow norm-breakers to make their existence known... I have never said that the current of deviation is a Masonic group... Back then, Ahmadineajd should have been supported in the face of his rivals. My support for Ahmadinejad was in recognition of the slogans and principles of the Islamic revolution... I still believe in Ahmadineajd and support him."
- E'temad releases the names of the latest Ahmadinejad and Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei associates arrested by the authorities: Hamid Baghaei, Mohammad-Sharif Malekzadeh, Ali-Asghar Parhizkar, Ali-Reza Moghimi, Azadeh Ardakani.
- Kayhan continues attacks against Mohammad Khatami and the reformist camp.
Diplomacy
- [E] Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to visit Tehran on Saturday to meet and confer with high-ranking Iranian officials on bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest.
- [E] Iranian and Nigerian officials in a meeting in Abuja stressed both countries' abundant potentials and rich resources, and announced their plans to exchange experience in industrial, developmental, technological and energy fields.
Military and Security
- According to Ammariyon, Ail Rezai, son of former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai, has "fled to Britain." Ali Rezai reportedly studies in Britain. Ahmad Rezai, another son of Mohsen Rezai, who had returned to Iran from the U.S., has fled to the U.S. again.
- Mashregh News reports on improvement of the Russian-built KVADRAT air defense systems of the Revolutionary Guards in Iran.
- Alef News reports an assassination attempt on Hassan Danayi-Far, the Islamic Republic's Ambassador to Baghdad. Danayi-Far is wounded but survived the assassination attempt.
- Alef News' analyst condemns Mohammad-Reza Khatami's letter against Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad-Ali Jafari.
Economy
- Behrouz Kazemi, public relations head of the Contractors' Association in Tehran, says ten thousand employees risk losing their jobs because the Energy Ministry has not paid the contractors.
- [E] Ahmadinejad underlined Iran's capability to further decrease the country's dependence on oil in budget revenues, and said Tehran plans to boost non-oil exports up to $45bln in the current Iranian year (started on March 21).
Trade
- China's WM Company invests in pipelines in the Arvand Economic Development zone.
- Asr-e Iran's analyst warns against Saudi Arabia's attempts to wrest India's oil market away from Iran.
Religion, Society and Culture
- Iran bans import of Qurans printed in China.
- Housing Minister Ali Nikzad says the sources of emulation have "on numerous occasions protested against modern city planning and have stressed that the [open] kitchens in today's buildings are not compatible with Islamic and Iranian culture."
- Mohamamd-Reza Shajarian is appointed the head of the Supreme Council of the House of Music.
Photo of the Day
- Imam Khomeini Avenue in Beirut, Lebanon.