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

(E) = Article in English

Excerpts of these translations may only be used with the expressed consent of the authors.

Regional Developments

Military and Security

  • IRGC Khatam ol-Anbia Construction Base Commander Brig. Gen. Ebadollah Abdollahi addressed the IRGC Defense Engineering Conference to discuss refinery construction in the South Pars gas fields and the nuclear talks, he also claimed that Iran’s underground resources can replace oil revenues:
    • “Today, the IRGC performs an effective role in creating appropriate bedrock as the country’s great pillar of construction in servicing the people.”
    • “The most advanced machine drilling tunnels are in the hands of IRGC Khatam ol-Anbia Construction Base today.”
    • “With a jihadi measures and complete Iranian engineering, the construction of refineries in the South Pars gas fields’ phases 15 and 16 have been carried out by Khatam ol-Anbia Construction Base. The entirety of the process from design, equipment, securing goods, to operationalization has taken place with indigenous knowledge and capacity.”
    • “Constructing refinery in phases 15, 16, 22 and 23 are at hands of the base. Prior to this, constructing and operationalizing these phases were in the hands of foreign companies and contractors, such as Shell and Total.”
    • “If there was not an injection of 600 to 700 million cubic meters from phases 15 and 16, we would have confronted gas deficiency in the province of Mazandaran last month when snow fall caused gas pressure decline.”
    • “Khatam ol-Anbia Construction base is building the Persian Gulf star refinery, which will be constructed as the largest refinery in the world with the capacity to refine 360 thousand barrels per day. With the refinery’s complete opertionalization, 59 million liters of gasoline and 40 million liters of gasoil will be produced.”
    • “The tallest dam in the country is the Bakhtiari dam, whose elevation will be constructed 56 meters higher than the Milad tower. Of course, the Chinese were going to construct this project but when they stepped aside from construction of this dam, the base came to work.”
    •  “Sanctions may cause us to face problems, but with God’s favor and utilizing the valuable lessons of the Sacred Defense era we can achieve all of our goals.”
    • “Certainly, no one dislikes the establishment of peace and stability in the world. But when they target our beliefs and announce that even Iran’s nuclear screws must be destroyed, we will not get anywhere with this situation.”
    • “Our rich underground resources can be appropriate replacements for oil. For example, we sold 22 million tons of limestone. If we would have transformed it to steel and iron, we could have earned much more revenue from this method.”
    • “Whenever the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the soldiers of the Imam of the Age [12th Shi’a Imam Mahdi] and the velayat-e faghih [Guardianship of the jurisprudence], feels a heavy weight on the people’s shoulders, it carries this weight based on the message of its duty.” 
  • Attending the IRGC Defense Engineering Conference, the Head of the Passive Defense Organization Brig. Gen. Gholam Reza Jalali stated:
    • “The defense engineering system has become familiar with the concept of threats. With a change in threat perception, engineering systems also change because the defense engineering system has been created to control threats.”
    • “Today, we are witnessing that engineering regulations in the world are based on defense engineering regulations in America and this demonstrates the importance of the defense arena in the engineering process.”
    • “During the Sacred Defense era, the role of defense engineering transformed from a small role at the beginning days of the Imposed War to an effective role in the latter years of the Imposed War.”
    • “Before the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Western doctrine was dominant in the country. In this doctrine, air power was the focus along with fire volume and regional politicking.”
    • “Increased threats transformed defense engineering, which caused the creation of high engineering capacity. After the end of the Imposed War, this massive capacity came to the aid of the country’s development.”
    • “After the end of the Sacred Defense era we confronted the threat of America’s presence in the region. Our reliance until that time was on the Sacred Defense doctrine, but when we confronted America’s threats we felt a need to a change our defense doctrine.”
    • “Close to three years of work was needed to form a new doctrine in order to confront America, which was based on avoiding concentration in specific points.”
    • “Based on the Supreme Leader’s saying, if our [forces] were asymmetrical at any point with the enemy, we must use the principles of passive defense.”
    •  “In defense projects, we must act with multiple purposes. Meaning that defense criteria must be observed while undertaking an engineering and civil activity. Multi purpose means creating defense discipline in the process of the country’s expansion.”
    • “The Supreme Leader considers passive defense like immunization of the body against microbes. Meaning that if an enemy intends to invade, his threat will become ineffective.”
    • “In Imam Hossein University, engineering teaching must continue with attention to engineering systems. Other than this, teaching technical-engineering in this university will become no different than other universities in the country.” 
  • Artesh Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Commander Brig. Farzad Esmaili stated, “We must take steps in achieving resistance economy with the guidance of officials, commanders and by observing the principles of efficiency.” 
  • Armed Forces General Staff Headquarters Chief Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi commented on recent Ukranian unrest:
    • “Changing the name of ‘Independence’ square to ‘Euro’ square in the Ukranian capital Kiev is the symbol of the narrative that occurred to transform this country from independence to dependence with American and European support.”
    • “The lesson that America and the Westerners believing in liberal democracy in Ukraine gave to this country’s nation was a historical lesson for all independent nations to not be fooled by the smiles and satanic ideas of global capitalism, the deception of Arrogance [West] and its supporters.”
    • “We wish the best for the Ukranian nation but this is a lesson that we cannot refrain from mentioning.” 
  • IRGC Ground Forces Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Abdollah Eraghi urged tolerance of minorities and called anyone who breaks unity an “anti-revolutionary”:
    • “Eight Years of Sacred Defense [Iran-Iraq War] ensured the country, if our politicians today are present behind the negotiations table with strength and pride is because of the blessing of that era and unknown Basijis.”
    • “We cannot move with closed opinions to expand society. Tolerating different styles and civility with minorities and religions are such components.”
    • “Expansion means establishing blossoming and preserving values and roles that unites the nation.”
    • “Anyone who seeks to disrupt society’s unity is anti-revolutionary and does not move in the path of the system’s interests.” 
  • Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan praised Iranian progress in face of pressure and stated, “With reliance on faith, trust and especially the intelligence leadership of the Supreme Leader, we have been able to achieve modern military technologies in a short amount of time despite all limitations and pressures.” 

Nuclear Issue

Politics

  • Head of the Defense of Media Freedom Association Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani discussed press restrictions: “Instead of witnessing progress in the media arena, it is reverting to previous eras. The situation during the Constitutional era [early 20th century] was better than now. The Aseman newspaper Managing Director was sent to Evin prison without even being tried and sentenced in a legal court...The errors that they state about the media is the people’s criticism. That sentence a newspaper to maximum punishment meaning shutting down and even arresting the managing director is outside Islamic law. We hope that the administration can control such events.” 
  • Head of the Expediency Discernment Council Strategic Research Center Ali Akbar Velayatistated, “America will not be inclined to leave the region because of its geopolitical importance. The Syrian crisis is really important to us. This crisis that began three years ago has reached a level where the capability of force has shifted to the Syrian nation and their supporters.” Velayati also discussed Ukraine and the Caucuses, saying “Today the danger of disintegration threatens Ukraine. Also security of the Caucuses is very important and must be given special attention.” 

Photo of the Day

  • Senior cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Sadegh (Mehyeddin) Haeri Shirazi unveils Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s new book “Ijtihad and Intellectual Innovation from the Perspective of Ayatollah Khamenei.”