Iran News Round Up - October 16, 2013

Politics

• Member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Parliamentary Commission Mohammad Hassan Asfari called for internal unity in order to allow Iran’s negotiating team to succeed: “Naturally, one of the factors of the successes of the Iranian negotiations team is the consensus and unity of views as to the interests of the state, parliament, parties, groups, and individuals… Official stances must not be in the direction of weakening the negotiations team, but be taken in the direction of national interests.” 
• Islamic Revolution Self-Sacrificers Society [factions comprised of Iran-Iraq War veterans, primarily IRGC members] Secretary Hossein Fedaei announced the group’s “religious and legal” support of the Rouhani Administration and said, “Heroic flexibility by the Supreme Leader has been made analagous to the sport of wrestling, and we must not forget that we are flexible in wrestling for victory, not for defeat. If we provide an opportunity to the enemy to execute a technique, it is so we can knock the enemy to the ground with its countermove.” 
• Principlist MP Behrouz Ne’mati gave his opinion on negotiations with the US: “The smiles and frowns of Americans must not have an effect on the national interests of Iran. Americans and their Western allies are looking to secure their interests, so Iran must also look to protect and improve the interests of the regime and country in its interactions with the world.”
• Minister of Intelligence Hojjat al-Eslam Mahmoud Alavi announced that one of his ministry’s strategic objectives is to create a safe space for students:
  • “Security must be of the type that students and teachers can put their minds to their own scientific movement in a space full of safety and peace, and raise constructive criticisms in relation to all issues regarding the university, society, or management of the country.”
  • “The government welcomes constructive criticism, the country has political freedom, and all people, while maintaining respect, can present their own views.” 
• Expediency Discernment Council member Ayatollah Ali Movahedi Kermani addressed the Eid al-Adha [Eid-e Ghorban] prayer service in Tehran, discussed Islamic unity and praised the velayat-e faghih:
  • “Hajj gives the lesson of unity. There is no better opportunity than Hajj for the unity of the Islamic ummah.”
  • “They know the place of the Imam of the Age [12^th Shi’a Imam Mahdi] but do not know the place of the velayat-e faghih. The Hidden Imam says ‘the vali-ye faghih is my deputy’ but some do not accept this.”
  • “The greatness that was achieved for our nation is the blessing of obeying Imam Khomeini in the past and the Supreme Leader in the present.” 

Regional Developments

• Hamas Political Desk member Ezzat al-Rashaq denied reports that Hamas Leader Khaled Mashal has traveled to Iran. 
• Ahlul Bayt News Agency reports the police arrest of a woman who is the leader of an al-Qaeda cell in southern Baghdad.  

Diplomacy

• Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Mejid Takht Ravanchi and English Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Gass met on the sidelines of the Geneva meetings, and agreed that within the next two weeks they would announce their charges d’affaires in order to renew bilateral relations. 
• Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Qazanfar Roknabadi said, “Progress in relations between Iran and its Arab neighbors [particularly Saudi Arabia] will be to Lebanon’s benefit.” 
• Iranian Ambassador to Switzerland Ali Reza Salari evaluated the P5+1 and Iran nuclear negotiations' environment as “positive.”
• Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for International and Legal Affairs Abbas Eraghchi, who is leading Iran’s delegation in Geneva, talked about his meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov: “In addition to the nuclear issue, we also conversed about Syria and the Geneva 2 meetings. Ryabokov noted that the Americans have been unable to act on their commitment to bring opposition groups to Geneva 2." 

Military and Security

• Senior Military Aide to the Supreme Leader Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi discussed the failure of American hegemony and ballistic missiles as Iran’s strategic deterrence:
  • “In the era of bipolarity [Cold War], no countries were able to carry out a revolution, but Iran’s Islamic Revolution achieved victory outside the control of America and the Soviets, which was an important event in the region.”
  • “In creating a unipolar power in the world, the Americans faced defeat in their unilateral actions and in establishing their preferred government in Iraq and Afghanistan. In all likelihood, the world is heading towards multipolarity, including the power of the Asian continent, there will not be any superpower on a global scale by 2030, and [we] will move in a world of multi-polar powers or networks and coalitions of power.”
  • “Although the Americans were able to show their dominance of diplomacy and oil and control the region’s energy with their military presence, they were unable to inflict harm on Iran. The intelligence and strategic outlook of the Supreme Leader, the directives of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, and the preparedness of Iran’s Armed Forces, especially Iran’s missile power, prevented the three great peripheral wars from harming Iran.” 
• Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi spoke of America’s use of this historic opportunity to achieve a diplomatic solution, while emphasizing that the offer would not always be open:
  • “Positive and constructive diplomacy from Iran has created a great historical opportunity. American government, do not lose this constructive opportunity, which will not always be, or make the deal go up in flames.”
  • “America’s traditional foundations in the region are crumbling. Therefore, this golden Iranian diplomatic effort can remove many problems, prevent more crises, and open ways to peace and victory for all of the nations.” 
• Coordination Deputy for the the Supreme Leader’s Representation in the IRGC Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Sepehr said, “Changing the system, changing the system’s behavior and its synchronicity with global policies is America’s three-faceted strategy toward Iran.  This strategy and hostility will never be fulfilled while we stand on our beliefs and revolutionary principles.”

Nuclear Issue

• Iran and P5+1 jointly announced that the next round of negotiations will take place on November 7 & 8 in Geneva. It was also decided that nuclear and sanctions specialist committees from both sides will attend the meetings.  
• Deputy Foreign Minister and nuclear negotiations team member Abbas Eraghchi expressed optimism about the new trend of nuclear negotiations and said:
  • “We do not have discussions about bilateral relations with America, but only talk with them regarding the nuclear issue.”
  • “We introduced the topic of sanctions relief with all delegations, including the American [delegation.] If they expect confidence building measures from us, they themselves must take confidence building measures.” 
• Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif announced his confidence in a positive outcome to the nuclear negotiations in a post on his Facebook page:
  • “Negotiations and the road to a solution are difficult, and there are many details which require much time and precision. It is not expected that without the mutual mistrust that has accumulated between the two sides will be completely removed with one positive and constructive meeting.”
  • “Of course, at the same time there is a need for general trust because one of the conditions for the success of international negotiations is preserving their respectful character. Usually, the less news that negotiators leak, the more of a sign of serious negotiations and likelihood of success it is.”
  • “In any case, it is not any easy task, but with thanks to God and the support of you good people, I have confidence and know that the outcome will be positive.” 
• National Security and Foreign Policy (NSFP) Parliamentary Commission Vice-Chairman Mansour Haghighatpour asserted that accepting the NPT Additional Protocol is not a matter that the Iranian delegation would accept and said, “To get ahead in negotiations, the Americans have implemented this media game…. They have no choice but to recognize the Islamic Republic of Iran’s right and kneel at Iran’s high scientific summit.” 
• NSFP  Spokesman Hossein Naghavi Hosseini announced, “The Islamic Republic accepting the Additional Protocol must be approved in Parliament, and if the government reaches an agreement with the West, it must be approved by Parliament… At this stage, Parliament certainly will reject the Additional Protocol and will not vote for it.” 

Photo of the Day

• Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton meet in Geneva.