Key takeaway: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that Iran will “surprise” President-elect Donald Trump if he abrogates the nuclear deal.
Zarif also stated, “I’m not worried… Whatever he [Trump] does to the nuclear deal, we are not worried because we have our own options. We believe it is in the interest of everybody to stick to the deal.” Zarif’s comments come after President Hassan Rouhani dismissed Trump’s remarks as “campaign slogans” on January 17. In a separate statement, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Head Ali Akbar Salehi emphasized that Iran “will not be the first party to violate the accord” and claimed that Iran does not take Trump’s stances “seriously.” Trump has made contradictory statements on the nuclear deal, alternatively vowing to dismantle or renegotiate the agreement.
Domestic Politics
Khatami sues former head of Basij Dozens killed in collapse of Plasco building in Tehran IRGC officials push back against parliamentarian’s missile commentsFatimiyoun fighter buried in Mashhad
A fighter in the Afghan Shia militia Fatimiyoun Brigade was buried in Mashhad. He was reportedly killed fighting opposition forces in the city of Aleppo on October 11. (Shahid News)
Citations & Links
Shahid News: http://www.shahidnews.com/view/139393/%D8%AA%D8%B4%DB%8C%DB%8C%D8%B9-%D9%BE%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B7%D9%87%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B9-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AFKhatami sues former head of Basij
Former reformist President Mohammad Khatami is suing IRGC Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a former head of the Basij Organization, according to Khatami’s lawyer. The suit is over a recent interview by Naghdi in which he claimed that Khatami received money from Saudi Arabia. (Shargh Daily)
Citations & Links
Shargh Daily: http://www.sharghdaily.ir/News/112903/%D8%B4%DA%A9%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%86%D9%82%D8%AF%DB%8CDozens killed in collapse of Plasco building in Tehran
The iconic Plasco commercial high-rise building in downtown Tehran caught fire and later collapsed on January 19. More than 200 firefighters were reportedly on the scene during the collapse. Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated earlier in the day that approximately 20 firefighters were killed, while other sources have reported as many as 30 killed. Over 200 individuals injured in the fire have been transported to hospitals in Tehran, according to IRNA. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani issued statements expressing their condolences. Rouhani also ordered Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli to launch a probe into the incident. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani ordered three parliamentary commissions to assist with investigations. (IRNA) (E) (IRNA) (E) (Tasnim News Agency) (Fars News Agency) (Fars News Agency) (Fars News Agency) (Fars News Agency) The Critical Threats team offers its condolences to the families of those killed in the collapse of the Plasco building in Tehran today.
Citations & Links
Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951030001136 Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951030000078 Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951030001209 Tasnim News Agency: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1395/10/30/1301271/%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D9%87%DB%8C%DA%86-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AB%D9%87-%D9%BE%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%88-%D8%AF%D8%AE%DB%8C%D9%84-%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%85%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%86-%D9%BE%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%88-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1 IRNA: http://www.irna.ir/en/news/82393379/ IRNA: http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82393796/IRGC officials push back against parliamentarian’s missile comments
On January 14, outspoken moderate-conservative parliamentarian Ali Motahari accused “extremists” of “damaging the revolution” by “provoking the enemy to impose economic sanctions, trying to halt the implementation of the nuclear deal through missile tests, giving the enemy the pretext of ‘human rights,’ and calling every protestor a seditionist.” Motahari later walked back his comments on January 19, however. He claimed that his comment “was not a rejection of the need for missiles, but rather about timely displays of power.” (Asr Iran) (Farda News)
- IRGC Public Affairs Head Brig. Gen. Ramezan Sharif called Motahari’s comments “derogatory” and “echoing the voice of our enemies.” IRGC Political Deputy Brig. Gen. Rasoul Sanaei Rad, meanwhile, dismissed Motahari’s remarks and claimed that “the schedule for missile tests is not related to political issues.” (Fars News Agency) (Tasnim News Agency)
Citations & Links
Tasnim News Agency: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1395/10/27/1298669/%D9%87%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87%DB%8C-%D8%B9%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD%DB%8C%D9%87-%D9%BE%DA%98%D9%88%D8%A7%DA%A9-%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B4%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF-%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9%DB%8C-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%B9%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%86-%DA%A9%D9%86%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/13951029000583Culture minister: Our pilgrims will attend the Hajj if Saudi Arabia accepts Iran’s conditions
Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Reza Salehi Amiri stated that Iran will send pilgrims to this year’s Hajj if Saudi Arabia accepts Iran’s conditions for the safety and travel arrangements of Iranian pilgrims. Iran is scheduled to send a delegation to Saudi Arabia in order to discuss preparations for the Hajj. Last year, Iranian officials canceled the Hajj for Iranian pilgrims following Saudi Arabia’s refusal to comply with Iran’s demands regarding arrangements for its pilgrims. (Tasnim News Agency)
Citations & Links
Tasnim News Agency: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1395/10/30/1301758/%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%AD%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D9%BE%D8%B0%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B7-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%AFDeputy foreign minister criticizes UK’s “stances” toward Iran
Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi criticized British officials’ “recent stances” toward the Islamic Republic during a meeting with British Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood in Tehran. Ravanchi did not specify which positions he meant to criticize, but he called them “counter to the development of bilateral relations.” Ravanchi may have been referring in part to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s promise to help GCC states “push back” against Iran’s “aggressive regional actions” in December, however. Ravanchi also called for the “precise implementation” of the P5+1’s commitments under the nuclear agreement. Iran and Britain reopened their embassies in 2015. (Mehr News Agency)
Citations & Links
Mehr News Agency: http://www.mehrnews.com/news/3881416/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%86%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AE%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86Zarif: Trump will be “surprised” if he scraps nuclear deal
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated, “I’m not worried… Whatever [President-elect Donald Trump] does to the nuclear deal, we are not worried because we have our own options. We believe it is in the interest of everybody to stick to the deal.” He added that Iran will “surprise” Trump if he chooses to scrap the nuclear deal. (Press TV)
Citations & Links
Press TV: http://www.presstv.ir/DetailFa/2017/01/19/506888/Iran-Zarif-Donald-Trump-USIran Presidential Election Tracker
The Critical Threats Project team explains the significance of Iran’s upcoming 2017 presidential election and tracks important electoral developments in “Iran Presidential Election Tracker: Updates and Analysis.”
What Rafsanjani’s death means for the Supreme Leader’s succession
Paul Bucala and Caitlin Shayda Pendleton discuss how Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s death will upend Iran’s political landscape in “What Rafsanjani’s death means for the Supreme Leader’s succession.”