Iran News Round Up - July 13, 2017

The Russian naval Makhachkala flotilla arrived at the Caspian port city of Bandar Anzali in northwest Iran on July 12. The Makhachkala flotilla will be docked at Bandar Anzali until Saturday and is the fifth such flotilla to berth at Bandar Anzali in the last ten years. The flotilla’s commander will meet with local civilian and military officials before departing on July 15. (Tasnim News Agency) (E)

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi stated that “sometimes tensions arise on the border of Iran and Pakistan” after the Pakistani source reported that the IRGC fired three missiles into Pakistani Baluchistan on July 8. Ghassemi stressed that both countries would soon establish a joint commission to investigate tensions on the border. This incident follows Pakistani forces shooting down an Iranian drone in Pakistani Baluchistan in June of this year, as well as Iranian mortar fire into the region in May. (Radio Farda) (The Nation)

Iranian media outlets reported the death of Fatemiyoun fighter Ali Jafari on July 11. (Khabar Farsi)

• Two Fatemiyoun fighters buried in Arak. Hossein Ebrahimi and Kazem Khavari will be buried in Arak, Markazi Province on July 13. The fighters were killed in Syria. (Defa Press)

Artesh Ground Forces fighter 3rd Lt. Mehdi Judi was killed in Aleppo on July 11. Judi was reportedly serving in the Artesh Ground Forces’ 377th Brigade and had previously served in Quchan in northeast Iran. (Mehr News Agency)

Iran’s state railway company signed a $1.3 billion deal with its Italian counterpart for the construction of a high speed rail line between the Iranian cities of Arak and Qom. (Press TV) (E)

An emergency motion forestalling the ratification of Iran’s $5bn deal with Total was struck off the Iranian parliament’s agenda on July 12 after failing to garner the necessary number of signatures for consideration. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani reassured critics of the Total deal that it will remain under the supervision of a board formed by the “Parliament, Judiciary, and other state apparatuses.” (Radio Farda)

Omani foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi held meetings in Tehran on July 12 with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani. The meetings reportedly included discussions of regional issues and the expansion of the economic relations between the two countries. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi reiterated that Iran’s relationship with Oman is “special” and that the foreign minister’s visit “bears a message.” (ISNA) (Tasnim News Agency)

Defence Minister IRGC Brig. Gen Hossein Dehghan responded to U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis’s comments on regime change in Iran. Dehghan stated that Mattis was “better off thinking about his own domestic issues” since “not only will the current American government collapse in the not-too-distant future, but the country’s political establishment is also faced with multiple challenges.” (ISNA)

• Foreign Ministry responds to Mattis comments on Iran. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi also blasted Mattis’s comments in remarks on July 11. Ghassemi stated in rebuttal that the roots of “terrorism and extremism in the region and today’s world” lie in “America’s ill-considered policy in supporting countries that sponsor terrorism and the governmental terrorism of [Israel].” (ABNA)

Principlist parliamentarian Mohammad Reza Bahonar stated that “nobody should complain about IRGC presence in Iran’s economy” claiming that “even in times of peace, the U.S. army works for civil construction in its own country.” Bahonar added that despite its drawbacks, the Total deal with France helps attracts foreign investment in Iran which is indispensable to the country’s economic growth. (ISNA)

First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri emphasized that signing the Total deal with France is in Iran’s national interests and is a blow to U.S. attempts to freeze the flow of money and capital into Iran. (IRNA)

Recently-appointed commander of IRGC Mohammad Rasoul Allah Unit (Greater Tehran) Brig. Gen. 2C  Mohammad Reza Yazdi attended a meeting with the reformist-backed Omid parliamentary  faction on July 12. Topics of conversation during the meeting reportedly included domestic issues, as well as regional and international threats. (ISNA)

Oil minister Bijan Zanganeh hit back at opponents of Iran’s recently signed $5bn deal with French oil and gas company Total. Zanganeh raised instances of past opposition to deals with the UK, U.S., and France and challenged opponents to “directly say that [they] oppose foreign investment” rather than manufacturing pretexts for opposing deals. (BBC Persian)

President Hassan Rouhani’s administration has countered claims of electoral infractions levied by Friday prayer leaders with complaints of its own against the armed forces and Friday prayer leaders. Vice President for Legal Affairs Majid Ansari stated in remarks on July 10 that “many” electoral media infractions were committed by “the armed forces, the security forces, and Friday prayer leaders, on the basis of which the government has issued complaints.” Ansari stated that these infractions included the use of public funds by certain institutions as well as interference on behalf of figures or institutions forbidden from being involved in the electoral process. (BBC Persian)

Hojjat ol Eslam Hassan Khomeini, grandson of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, addressed growing tensions in Iran’s political arena in a statement issued on July 11. Khomeini stated that current animosity in the political sphere stemmed from “a lack of dialogue” between opposing factions. Khomeini added that “having as little [political] disorder as possible… is a basic condition [for creating] a healthy society.” He noted, “much of the time we imagine that others have negative impressions or intentions towards us, but when we interact with one another we realize either that this was not the case or, that if it was, it was not to [so great] an extent.” (ISNA)

President Hassan Rouhani hit back at his conservative detractors in remarks before experts and lawmakers at the Festival of Health Facilitation on July 11. Rouhani asserted that “we must not be afraid in the face of a number [of figures] who unfortunately have large megaphones in their hands.” Rouhani stated that his ultimate focus was “the nation of Iran, the country’s interests, and the regime of the Islamic Republic.” (Radio Farda) (ISNA)

• Rouhani also defended his support of Iran’s defenses and armed forces at the Festival of Health Facilitation. Rouhani claimed that the amount of “strategic weapons” built under his administration amounts to “as much as 80 percent of all strategic weapons made under previous administrations.” Rouhani also referenced Iran’s missile strikes in Deir ez Zour, Syria, and stated, “Those who launched the missiles made a sacrifice, but who built the missiles? It is the administration. The defense ministry builds strategic missiles and the required money is provided by the economic sector.” (Mehr News Agency) (E) (President.ir) (E) (President.ir)

President Hassan Rouhani continued his rebuttal to conservative critics in remarks to his cabinet on July 12. Rouhani called the criticisms levied against him “post-election envy” and added that critics should not be upset by his administration’s achievements since “the success of the government is the success of the whole nation.” Rouhani reiterated some of his government’s achievements and referred to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as one of the “proud moments” of Iran’s history. Rouhani stated that Iran must “make use of the [opportunities] created” by the agreement. Rouhani then addressed his ongoing spat with the IRGC and the defeat of ISIS in Mosul and stated that “everyone knows that a small minority cannot make decisions for a whole nation.” (Radio Farda)