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

(E) = Article in English

Politics

Diplomacy and Regional Developments

  • Following the fall of gas prices on the global market, Iran, Russia and Qatar reached an agreement for stabilizing global gas prices.
  • Iranian ambassador to Syria Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani met with Syrian Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Jihad al-Laham, who expressed appreciation for the Iranian government and Majles for their protection of the Syrian people by strengthening and continuing the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. 
    • Laham assessed the trend of recent political events in Syria as positive and as benefiting the government and people of Syria. He also indicated that the economic aid given to Syria by Iran was one of the basic factors for the persistence and resistance of the Syrian people and a reason for their recent victories. He expressed his hope that the inauguration of Rouhani would usher in an era of even better relations between the two countries.
    • Sheibani in turn expressed his hope that the people of Syria, with the help of Syria’s true friends, would overcome the current critical situation and that stability and security would be restored to Syria. 
  • Bahrain National Islamic Wefaq Society member Ramleh Abdolhamid announced the possibility of a state of emergency for the August 14 national demonstrations against the Khalifa regime. 

Military and Security

  • Armed Forces General Staff Khatam ol Anbia Passive Defense Base Inspection Deputy IRGC BG Mohammad Jafar Assadi commented on regional issues:
    • “Today, looking at the region, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bahrain, we find that the comfort that we have [in Iran] is indebted to the martyrs. Otherwise that same bomb that explodes in Baghdad today should be exploding in Tehran. These bombs have been prepared for our nation."
    • "The Americans have not come from the other side of the world to take Iraq, which they lost, or to free Kuwait, Kuwait was also theirs, and Saudi Arabia is also one of the corrupt servants of America. The Americans have come because of Iran, but we see that under the shadow of the velayat-e faghih how much respect Iran is given."
    • "The Muslim Brotherhood was able to keep Egypt from the claws of Hosni Mubarak for one year, but the absence of velayat-e faghih caused them to be eradicated before another year could pass."
    • "It’s been three years that all of Global Arrogance has conspired to remove Bashar Assad, but since the hand of Bashar Assad is the hand of the velayat-e faghih, the arrogance does not have the power to destroy these youth [fighting in Syria]…. The Global Arrogance wants to take our lives and oppress us. We are not warring people, but when we see that war is transpiring, all of the people, men and women, old and young, will resist. Over the years this nation has shown that it stands against Global Arrogance.”
  • IRGC Commander MG Ali Jafari attended Quds Day marches in Tehran but did not make any statements. Jafari also attended Friday prayer in Tehran.
  • Before joining street demonstrations in Tehran marking Quds Day, Defense Minister BG Ahmad Vahidi stated that he would find out within the next three days if he has a place in the incoming administration. He then advised Rouhani to implement “economic resistance policies that have been previously explained by the Supreme Leader” to confront sanctions. He also reacted to the recent US House of Representatives sanctions bill, and said:
    • “These are desperate measures that the Americans are pursuing.... America implementing new sanctions against Iran demonstrates the contradiction of their slogans. They apparently say that they oppose Iran having nuclear technology, but what their [actions] have not had any relation to nuclear energy and the nuclear issue. The Americans’ policy is anti-Iranian and they seek to prevent the growth and progress of the Iranian nation, but fortunately they have not succeeded yet.”
    • “Sanctions have only made the Iranian nation even more resolute and have increased the people’s will to cut dependencies and [become] self-sufficient. The Americans cannot force the Iranian nation to surrender with such acts, which is of course a lesson that our nation has given to the Americans during the past thirty some years.”
    • On Palestinian-Israeli peace talks: “The existence of a Palestinian resistance and global support of the Palestinian ideal negates any compromise.”
  • Representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi attended Quds Day marches and said that the strategy of the West is preventing Islamic unity, and added, “Domination of oil and gas energy resources, confronting Islam and spreading the culture of Christianity and preventing global Islamic movement are other important goals of the hegemonic powers…. Creating division between religions is also another conspiracy of Arrogance in the Middle East.”
  • Senior Military Adviser to the Supreme Leader MG Yahya Rahim Safavi said, “The strategy to free Palestine is the continuation of armed jihad and Islamic resistance until the fall of the Zionists, and this is the only strategy to liberate honorable Quds and to return the Palestinians their land and rights.”
  • Minister of Intelligence Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi praised Quds Day, reacted to recent sanctions, discussed the “leaders of the [2009] sedition," and the possibility of joining Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s university:
    • “We have to pay attention [to the fact that] we are in a special position; such that [when] the new administration is on the eve of going to work, the Americans introduced discussions and demonstrated their nature by the recent resolution in the American Congress…. Our people...have given a message to the Arrogance, that despite all the problems, they will not let go of the resistance.”
    • “So long as the leaders of sedition have not determined their obligation with the system, they will not have a place in the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran…. We must never permit [their return] because the seditionists are law breakers. The Supreme Leader has said that the seditionists [should] become law abiders [and in doing so] the system will no longer have a problem with them.”
    • “I am not university [educated] rather I am from the seminary, but if it is in the path of righteousness I will help [Ahmadinejad’s new university].” 
  • Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) Commander BG Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam announced his full support for Rouhani’s administration and commented on the recent Palestinian-Israeli peace talks and sanctions:
    • "We will certainly cooperate with the Eleventh Administration. We have no other duties than to try and strengthen the people’s security and society’s obedience to the law. The [LEF] framework is clear we will perform our duties with strength with any administration that comes .”
    • “The plan of compromise has been discussed for fifteen years, from ‘Oslo’ to ‘Madrid,’ and has so far not had any results. This measure will not have any results either because the side of Zionism and America does not have any respect for the rights of the Palestinian nation…. The plan of compromise determines the Zionists’ security and it is natural that it will have no results.”
    • “Our people are very aware and I do not think that anyone expects that the enemy’s [position] will change with the moderation of the President or [other government] officials. They do not care much about officials. One of their goals is for Quds Day to not exist…. If our president changes, will our positions in defending the nation’s rights change?! We say that they have stood by their positions and it is natural that the more we stand upon our positions, pressures will increase.”

Economy

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