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. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.
(E) = Article in English
Politics
- 50 MPs signed a letter to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani criticizing the Rouhani Administration’s ceasing of a privatization legal resolution passed in the Ahmadinejad era. In the letter, the MPs considered the move as the beginning of the administration’s retreat from privatization and threatened three ministers with impeachment if “an acceptable explanation is not provided.”
- Head of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani expressed concern about the future of the Syrian people and urged “leaders of powerful countries” to resolve the situation with dialogue, not with military force.
- In a statement, the Volunteer Youth Headquarters for Deploying to Syria, reportedly composed of Iranian and Iraqi youth, announced its preparedness to “depart to Syria and for jihad with the Zionists.” The group requested the Iranian and Iraq governments to open the path to Syria and also requested permission from the Syrian government to be present in the Golan Heights and to provide missile and artillery support for ground operations in liberating the “occupied territories.”
- Greater Tehran University Basij Students 6 announced its preparedness to “aid the Syrian nation….until the last breath” and warned “regional governments such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey….that any fanning of the fire and war-seeking is to the detriment of regional countries, [and] the Americans will certainly see damage like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
- Assembly of Experts member and Steadfastness Front Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi discussed Egypt and said that the lack of a “religion-centered and worthy leader” has led to the present situation.
Regional Developments
- Iraqi Hezbollah Mokhtar Army Leader Watheq al-Battat announced his force's readiness to enter Syria and target all American interests and individuals in Iraq, if the United States strikes Syria.
- Mehr News Agency reports that, according to several sources, Saudi intelligence will unleash a wave of explosions and terrorism in Lebanon and Iraq simultaneously with a potential military strike against Syria.
- Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA) reports that at least 8,000 Syrian Army soldiers and pilots have announced their readiness for suicide operations against American forces.
- The Syrian Army has reportedly closed all main roads leading to Damascus and its Ground and Air forces are on high alert.
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly held an emergency session with senior military commanders and said, “From the beginning of the crisis, you have performed well, and we are awaiting the moment that real war takes place against us.”
- ABNA reports the possibility of Turkish ground intervention to restore stability in northern Syria.
- Hamas leader Ayman Tah warned that an American military strike against Syria will have “a heavy price” for the region.
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced its opposition to any military strikes against Syria.
Diplomacy
- In a telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Hassan Rouhani affirmed the shared position of Iran and Russia regarding Syria. Rouhani said, “Iran is interested in increasing consultations and cooperation between the two countries in various fields, especially regarding the issue of Syria.”
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed recent Syrian events with ten of his counterparts from Jordan, Kuwait, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Greece, France, Republic of Azerbaijan and Algeria. He condemned chemical weapons and urged more time to allow the United Nations to further investigate the matter.
- Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle East and Africa Affairs Deputy Hossein Amir Abdollahian denied reports that United Nations Political Deputy Jeffrey Feltman informed Iran about a military strike against Syria.
- In a meeting with Yemeni officials, an Iranian diplomatic delegation requested the formation of a special committee to investigate the kidnapping of Iranian diplomat Nour Ahmad Nikbakht in Sana’a last month. Yemeni officials reassured the delegation that the matter is of high importance to senior Yemeni officials.
- Foreign Minister Zarif appointed the first female Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Marziyeh Afkham. Afkham previously lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information and Media Desk for eight years.
Military and Security
- IRGC Commander MG Mohammad Ali Jafari threatened Israel and said that an American attack against Syria will turn into “the second Vietnam”:
- “During the past few years, the American government and some of its allies sought to damage the line of resistance in the region by totally supporting and arming terrorists with various weapons. Currently, it seems that after the miserable defeat of the vicarious war of the terrorists by the resistant Syrian nation, they have turned to direct military threat.”
- “Despite the numerous bitter experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Americans, in case of a military measure against Syria, will complete the domino of their failure and will experience the most shameful historical defeat. Syria will turn into a field of slaughter and a fiasco much more dangerous than Vietnam, and in reality will turn to a second Vietnam for America.”
- “The Zionists must know that America’s military attack against Syria will not only not save this imposter regime from the claw of resistance, rather, an attack against Syria means Israel’s imminent destruction.”
- “The world’s people, especially regional Muslims, have not forgotten America’s false excuse for [its] military attack against Iraq. [It was] there that America attacked this country with the claim of the existence of weapons of mass destruction, and after years of military presence and massacre of thousands of Iraqi civilians and innocents, it announced that it had committed a mistake in its intelligence assessment and such weapons did not have external existence in Iraq. In the end, it was forced to apologize to global public opinion.”
- “Some regional governments and reactionary Arab regimes that are supporting a military attack against Syria must also know that the fire of this war-seeking will not be limited to Syria and will spread to all warmongers and their supporters.”
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Head of the Armed Forces General Staff MG Hassan Firouzabadi warned the United States, United Kingdom and Israel:
- “Any new operations in the region will be very destructive and will profit no one except the Zionists’ satisfaction, and this large damage will be on human society, and its domain will not be limited to Muslims’ society.”
- “America, England and the rest of their cooperators will see harm in marching to the region and Syria.”
- Representative of the Supreme Leader in Khuzestan Province Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Mousavi Jazayeri considered an American strike against Syria as a precursor to the arrival of the Hidden Imam and said, “By implementing these threats, in addition to occupying Syria, the enemy's goal is attacking Iran and Iraq. If divine fate wills it, we will come to the field with [our] lives and hearts.” He added, “In the case of an attack against Syria, we will all set foot on the field as a small soldier, so we give our religion to the Islamic religion like this.”
- Artesh Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base Commander BG Farzad Esmaili denied the existence of an air defense base in Gheshm Island, Persian Gulf.
Economy
- Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani met with the Qom Chamber of Commerce and said exiting record inflation requires special attention to production.
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