Iran News Round Up - January 31, 2017

Artesh Navy Commander RADM Habibollah Sayyari announced that the Artesh Navy’s 44th Fleet, consisting of the frigate Alvand and the support vessel Bushehr, will return to Iran during the Persian month of Esfand (February-March) after a “five-month mission” off the African coast. In late November, Sayyari claimed that that the Artesh Navy 44th Fleet entered the Atlantic Ocean and berthed at the port city of Durban in South Africa. Satellite imagery indicates that the Bushehr underwent emergency repairs in Durban, explaining the 44th Fleet’s long absence from Iranian waters. (Tasnim News Agency)

Iranian news outlets reported that interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani will chair meetings of the Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) until February 24. A new chair will presumably be appointed afterwards. Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani had been EDC chairman since the council’s creation in 1987 until his death in January 2017. The EDC is constitutionally tasked with advising the Supreme Leader and mediating legislative disputes between the Guardian Council and Parliament. Kermani is a prominent conservative figure in Iran’s political establishment and is the secretary general of the Combatant Clergy Association. (Asr Iran)

Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani discussed solutions to the Syrian crisis during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on January 31. Shamkhani warned, “If some powers continue to pursue the exclusion of the legitimate president of Syria, a power vacuum will form in that country. Planning ideas such as the creation of safe or buffer zones is a step on the path toward [Syria’s] disintegration. These [solutions to the Syrian crisis] actually help strengthen terrorism and the continuation of regional crises.” President Donald Trump has proposed the creation of “safe zones” in Syria in order to protect civilians.

• Shamkhani also discussed the nuclear deal and stated, “The continuation of the nuclear deal has depended upon the parties’ adherence to the implementation of their commitments. Moving away from this process under any excuse… will lead to a response.” (Tasnim News Agency)

Defense Minister IRGC Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan met with Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan in Tehran on January 31. Sargsyan hailed “the victory of the Islamic Revolution” as a “turning point” in Iran’s history and called for the two sides to develop their defense relations. Sargsyan also reportedly praised Iran’s role in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and indicated Armenia’s interest in cooperating with Iran in the fight against terrorism. (Mehr News Agency) (E)

IRGC Brig. Gen. Iraj Masjedi, a senior advisor to IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, praised Iran’s efforts in Iraq and Syria. He stated, “The defenders of the shrine are defending Iran’s geopolitical situation in addition to defending sacred sites.” Iranian officials use the term “defenders of the shrine” to refer to Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias fighting in Syria and Iraq. Masjedi also noted that recapturing Mosul will bring “250 kilometers of security to Iran,” underscoring the Iranian regime’s perception of northern Iraq as part of its strategic depth. Masjedi is slated to become Iran’s new ambassador to Iraq. (Tasnim News Agency)

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that Iran is no longer issuing visas to American citizens during his press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Zarif called the ban a response to President Donald Trump’s 90-day ban on Iranian nationals entering the U.S. He noted that a committee within the Foreign Ministry will consider exceptions to Iran’s ban on a case-by-case basis, however. Zarif tweeted on January 28 that Iran would take unspecified “reciprocal measures” against Trump’s ban, but he also stressed that Iran would “gladly welcome” those who already had visas. In contrast, Trump’s ban prevented current visa-holders from entering the U.S., including those who were already in transit. (YJC)

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that Iran’s use of ballistic missiles complies with the nuclear deal and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 during a press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault in Tehran. Zarif did not comment on Iran’s alleged test of a ballistic missile but defended the existence of Iran’s ballistic missile program. Zarif stated that Iranians “never depend on the permission of anyone else for their self-defense.” Zarif warned President Donald Trump not to use Iran’s “defense program” as a pretext for “creating new tensions” and starting “political games” like the new visa ban for Iranians, however. Zarif also denied that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) pertains to Iran’s ballistic missile tests, stating:

• “Just as all parties to the JCPOA announced during negotiations, missile tests are not part of the JCPOA. Both the French administration and the previous American administration that took responsibility for the negotiations have proclaimed that missile tests are not a component of the JCPOA and have no relation to it.”
• “This resolution [UN Resolution 2231] refers to missiles that have been designed for the capability to carry nuclear weapons. We have said that no ballistic missile has been designed to be capable of carrying a nuclear weapon. Our missiles are for carrying conventional warheads and for the legitimate defense of the Islamic Republic. They are outside [the scope] of Resolution 2231.”
• “The International Atomic Energy Agency and countries party to the JCPOA have announced several times that Iran has stood by its commitments and implemented them fully. Unfortunately, we have not seen other parties to the JCPOA, particularly the United States, be as committed as we have been.” (IRNA) (ILNA)
   

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