A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analyst Will Fulton. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Politics

  • Representative of the Supreme Leader to the IRGC Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi discussed the IRGC's role in politics, differences between Basij and IRGC, and Syria:
    • "As a Guard cannot attack the front lines without intelligence, guarding the revolution is also like this. You have to know currents, groups, orientations, and deviations so [you] can form a correct position against them and can guard the revolution in sensitive situations."
    • "These are the dimensions of the Revolutionary Guards' political activities, but there is a substantive difference between the IRGC and the army and other organizations, and that is that political activity is part of the Revolutionary Guards' duties."
    • "Normal Basijis who live in society and during the week put in hours to cooperate with the Basij and IRGC cannot be considered as part of the organization of the IRGC, nor can [they be expected to abide by] the organizational dos and don'ts of the Revolutionary Guards.... For example, positions and circumstances of a Basij film writer or photographer are different than a guardsman."
    • "Basiji is someone who puts the aspiration of Imam [Khomeini] and leader of the revolution and divine and prophetic sayings as the centerpiece of his work. It is like this in elections, and the positions and duties of a Basiji are different than with a formal guardsman."
    • "After 20 months of the enemy's all out effort in Syria, in which they have invested all of their capacities to overthrow the system of this country, we see that they have faced defeat in their goals. This indicates the proliferation of the ideas and aspirations of Imam [Khomeini] and the Supreme Leader and the revolution regarding opposition and resistance against the excess demands of the dominant system [West]."
  • President Ahmadinejad supporters disrupted and threw various objects at Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani during his speech on the anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Qom, causing him to leave mid-speech.
    • The "rahvaran-e velayat" faction condemned the attack against Ali Larijani and said in a statement that "creating tension in the holy city of Qom on the day of the Iranian people's celebration and unity is a suitable topic for Western media."

Military and Security

  • The IRGC released an official statement regarding the 34th anniversary of the 1979 revolution, in which it warned that any "unity-breaking attempts" would be confronted and praised the Iranian people's presence in the ceremonies:
    • "Without a doubt this amazing, persistent, and inspirational movement that answers the call of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Imam Khamenei [demonstrated] more prominently the covenant and pact of the magnificent Iranian people with the aspirations of the late Imam [Khomeini] and the forever alive martyrs and their love of the revolution, Islamic system, and Supreme Leadership."
    • "The Revolutionary Guards, as a drop from the clear ocean of Iranian people, considers the spirituality and guidance of the Supreme Leader in various areas, particularly in the arena of preserving national unity and expediency of the system and revolution, as the 'final word.' Without a doubt [the IRGC] will confront any unity-breaking attempt that creates a bed for the deviant current and subjects for enemy media; that is playing in the enemy-designed field and [is against] the recent true warnings of the Supreme Leader [for politicians and people to avoid confrontation]."
    • "The dominant system, Arrogance [West], anti-revolutionaries, and internal and external deviators have to accept [that] they have no escape against the iron will of the Iranian nation and it is best [for them] to discontinue their Satanic, anti-revolutionary, and anti-Iranian policies and by ending [their] tyrannizing, arrogant, and hypocritical approaches bow down to the Iranian nation's esteem, greatness, and power."
  • Revolutionary Guards Deputy BG Hossein Salami said that Iran knows how to penetrate Patriot Missile defenses and that there is no need for Iranian military intervention in Syria:
    • "Regarding the Patriot Missiles, there are many uncertainties in its operational capabilities in a real field...there are many tactics for penetrating them and they certainly cannot be a safe defensive barrier for anyone, but it can be a psychological comfort for some who rely upon these systems in a non-operational circumstance."
    • "The Zionist Iron Dome also demonstrated the great distance between theoretical and testing realities and operational realities, and its lack of performance in a conflict even on a small scale was proven."
    • "The powers that are currently conducting military meddling in Syria are incapable of conducting military intervention in Syria. [One] cannot consider the recent Zionist regime airstrikes against Syria as a military attack that can disrupt the balance of power [in the region], rather it was an optional limited attack."
    • "This [potential] military intervention will open a wide new front for the region's major powers and their allies. If the political system in that region is overthrown, the eruption of political disorder will involve many of these countries and its containment will be nearly impossible."
    • "The Military and system of Syria possesses self-sufficient capabilities and Syria's military power is such that it will endure after current and previous interventions, and they certainly will not need the entrance of a military from another country to defend their existence and independence."

Nuclear Issues

  • Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Fereydoun Abbasi Davani reported the installment of new centrifuges in Natanz nuclear facility began last month, said the enrichment of 20% uranium is fuel for the Tehran facility reactors, and denied that Parchin is a nuclear site.

Photo of the Day

  • Former IRGC Commander Chief Commander and current Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council Mohsein Rezai attends ceremony for anniversary of 1979 revolution in Qom.