Key takeaway: Both reformist and hardline Iranian media outlets criticized President Donald Trump’s planned executive order restricting travel from Iran and six other countries to the U.S.
The executive order would reject visas for visitors and immigrants from Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya, and Sudan. Reformist newspaper Shargh wrote that Trump “is acting on his most horrific campaign promises one by one.” Hardline daily Kayhan stated that the executive order proves that “Trump will follow the same path as Obama in terms of hostility towards Iran.” Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari previously praised Trump for advocating the dismantlement of the nuclear deal. The editorials depart from recent statements by senior Iranian officials calling for caution in judging Trump’s nascent presidency and dismissing his campaign pledges as “slogans.”
Military and Security
IRGC Ground Forces exercise based on “Syrian operations" IRGC Air Force Commander: We will hold air defense drills in the near futureRegional Developments and Diplomacy
Assembly of Experts member: America’s goal with the nuclear deal is to transform the Islamic Revolution Advisor to Iranian parliament speaker meets with Assad Safavi: Baghdad and Damascus would have fallen without Iranian help Prominent newspapers criticize Trump administrationIRGC Ground Forces exercise based on “Syrian operations"
Deputy IRGC Ground Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Abdollah Eraghi revealed that the IRGC Ground Forces’ “Imam Ali” exercises currently taking place in western Iran were “planned based on actual operations in Syria.” (Tasnim News Agency)
Citations & Links
Tasnim News Agency: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1395/11/07/1308545/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%B9-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AFIRGC Air Force Commander: We will hold air defense drills in the near future
IRGC Air Force Commander Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh announced that the IRGC Air Force will stage air defense drills “soon.” He also boasted that the IRGC Air Force is “completely sufficient in air defense.” (Fars News Agency) (Fars News Agency)
Citations & Links
Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951107001237 Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951107001243Assembly of Experts member: America’s goal with the nuclear deal is to transform the Islamic Revolution
Assembly of Experts member and prominent hardliner Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi warned against America’s alleged attempts to “influence” Iran with the nuclear deal during a ceremony in Qom. Senior officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei often claim that the U.S. is pursuing a strategy of “soft war” against Iran by influencing Iranian decision-makers and culture. (Fars News Agency)
Citations & Links
Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951107001053Advisor to Iranian parliament speaker meets with Assad
Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the international affairs advisor to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, discussed regional developments during a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al Assad in Damascus. During the meeting, Assad praised Iran for being Syria’s “most prominent supporter.” (Tasnim News Agency)
Citations & Links
Tasnim News Agency: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1395/11/07/1308415/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AF-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%AA%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%A3%DA%A9%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%82Safavi: Baghdad and Damascus would have fallen without Iranian help
Senior Military Advisor to the Supreme Leader IRGC Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi praised the importance of Iranian regional involvement during a memorial event for an IRGC commander killed during the Iran-Iraq War. He stated, “If there not been Iranian military advisors, Baghdad and Damascus would have fallen.” (Fars News Agency)
Citations & Links
Fars News Agency: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13951107000942Prominent newspapers criticize Trump administration
Two leading hardline and reformist newspapers criticized President Donald Trump’s plans to unveil an executive order suspending visas from seven countries including Iran.
- Hardline newspaper Kayhan covered the story as its top front-page article under the headline “The continuation of hostility with Iran, the only common point between Trump and Obama.” The op-ed read that while Trump “questioned all of the Obama administration’s policies and promised to drain [the swamp]... his first several days of work proved that Trump will follow the same path as Obama in terms of hostility toward Iran.”
- Reformist newspaper Shargh similarly criticized the planned travel restrictions. It wrote that Trump “has taken the pen in his hand and is acting on his most horrific campaign promises one by one. He strikes panic and fear into the souls of thousands of people throughout the world with every decision he makes. America, which was founded on immigration and racial diversity, now has its most anti-immigrant president in its history in the White House.” (Kayhan) (Shargh)
Citations & Links
Shargh: http://www.sharghdaily.ir/News/113437/%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86 Kayhan: http://kayhan.ir/fa/news/96257Iran 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.”
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