Iran News Round Up - August 8, 2017

Iran signed an agreement with French automobile manufacturer Renault on August 7. The deal will increase Iran’s manufacture of Renault vehicles to 150,000 units a year and is estimated to be worth $800m. (BBC Persian)

Brig. Gen. 2C Hossein Rahimi will replace Brig. Gen. Hossein Sajedi as Greater Tehran Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) commander. Rahimi previously served as the LEF commander of Sistan and Baluchistan Province. Sajedi was appointed as the LEF Operational Deputy. (BBC Persian)

A soldier reportedly opened fire at the shooting range of Shahid Lashgari Artesh Air Force Base in Kahrizak, Tehran Province, on August 6. The attack killed four and injured eight. The base’s public relations arm stated that the shooting was likely as a result of “the attacker’s own mental [health] issues” and added that it had begun an investigation into the matter. (BBC Persian)

IRGC Ground Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour announced that the IRGC had clashed with forces from the Kurdistan Democratic Party in West Azerbaijan Province on August 6. Pakpour stated that the “terrorists” had “the intention of entering the country.” IRGC Ground Forces reportedly killed two of the KDP operatives during the attack and injured four more. (BBC Persian)

Reformist-backed Omid parliamentary faction Deputy Head Mohammad Reza Tabesh stressed that the “faction’s strategy and belief is to support Rouhani in implementing his slogans and the will of the people.” Tabesh added that if Rouhani’s cabinet includes principlists “who believe in implementing the president’s slogans, we will have no particular opposition or sensitivity towards them.” (ISNA)

• Omid faction spokesman Bahram Parsaei stressed that his faction will judge Rouhani’s cabinet picks “on the basis of [the faction’s] criteria” and “will not necessarily support the whole of the cabinet.” Rouhani is expected to announce his cabinet selections on August 8.” (ISNA)

President Hassan Rouhani was sworn in for his second term in office on August 5. The ceremony focused on the republican nature of the Islamic Republic’s political system. The ceremony differed from the August 3 ceremony in which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed Rouhani’s second term. Rouhani stated that his administration “prefers peace to war and reform to stagnation.” He added that Iran is “always prepared to defend [itself], but we don’t consider defense to be possible only with guns: we support our armed forces but our greatest weapon is the will of the people.” Rouhani stressed that the nuclear deal is “an example of consensus in Iran” but that a violation of it would “be faced with the coordinated response of the nation and the government.” Rouhani acknowledged the presence of the foreign dignitaries at the ceremony, including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Iraqi President Fuad Masum, and UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Alastair Burt. He also highlighted that “cooperation with friendly countries is not only a conscious choice but a necessity.” (President.ir)

• Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Judiciary Head Sadegh Amoli Larijani joined Rouhani for a press conference after the inauguration. Ali Larijani stated that the presence of foreign dignitaries “has shown that the world respects the choices of the Iranian people and regime.” Sadegh Larijani added that he hoped Rouhani would “form his administration as soon as possible” in order to tend to the country’s urgent needs. (Mehr News Agency)
• IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari was notably absent from Rouhani’s inauguration ceremony on August 5. Sarallah Base Deputy Head IRGC Brig. Gen. Mohammad Esmail Kosari issued a statement on Jafari’s behalf, and stated that a travel delay kept Jafari from arriving in Tehran in time for the ceremony. Jafari attended Rouhani’s official endorsement ceremony on August 3. (Tasnim News Agency)

Artesh Deputy Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan addressed Iranian policy towards the U.S. He stated, “When the enemy extends a hand towards [you] in friendship, [you] ought to be even more watchful.” He added that “the U.S. has pitched a tent in the region for the past fourteen years and put us under various types of pressure so that we may perhaps submit [to them]... they are continuing this war against us and we are at war against America in every dimension.” (ISNA)

Combatant Clergy Association Member Hojjat ol Eslam Hossein Ebrahimi stated that the presence of foreign officials at President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration on August 5 was a sign of “unity and solidarity.” Ebrahimi added that he hopes the inauguration “will be a foundation for new movements” that will “be able to solve people’s problems.” (ILNA)

Judiciary Head Sadegh Amoli Larijani addressed Iran’s foreign policy outlook on August 7. Larijani stressed that “the world is not just [made up of] America. As such, creating relations with the world in order to isolate the arrogant and the [U.S.] is necessary.” Larijani added that Iran would “resist those who seek to dominate” and that despite sanctions against Iran “the world is not only in the hands of the U.S.” (Fars News Agency)

Defense Minister IRGC Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin during the latter’s visit to Iran to attend President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration. The two sides reportedly discussed bilateral affairs, regional issues, and the development of defense and security relations. (Mehr News Agency)

• Shamkhani meets with Syrian PM. Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Shamkhani met with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis on August 5. Shamkhani stated that U.S. and Western actions in the region “will result in the expansion of terrorism in the world” and reiterated that Iran’s support for Syria “will continue until the security crisis in that country comes to an end.” (Mehr News Agency)
• Larijani meets with Hamas international relations chief. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani met with Hamas international relations chief Izzat al Rishq on August 7. (Mehr News Agency)
• Head of Strategic Council on Foreign Relations meets with Mogherini. Head of Parliament’s Strategic Council on Foreign Policy Kamal Kharazi met with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on August 5. Kharazi stated that “the EU should resist U.S. policy” on the nuclear deal and added that “the American positions are a problem for everyone, including the European Union. The scope of disagreement between the EU and America is in the process of expanding.” (Mehr News Agency)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini met with President Hassan Rouhani on August 5 after attending Rouhani’s inauguration on the same day. Rouhani acknowledged the “good progress” of Iran-EU relations since the start of his presidency but added that they “have not reached the expected point highlighted in the nuclear deal.” (BBC Persian)

• Rouhani met with Iraqi President Fouad Masoum on August 5. Rouhani stressed that the “security of [Iran and Iraq] are interlaced.” Rouhani emphasized Iran’s support of Iraq against ISIS and added that Iran “desires a unified Iraq, and hope[s] Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds will always be united against Iraq’s enemies.” Rouhani also met separately with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. (Mehr News Agency) (Mehr News Agency)
• Rouhani stressed that China and Iran can and should strengthen mutual relations during a meeting with the head of China's National Development and Reform Commission He Lifeng. (Mehr News Agency)

• Rouhani also met with the North Korean Presidium head Kim Yong Nam on August 7. Rouhani stated that the “negotiating table is the best way to a solution” to the enmity between the two Koreas. (ISNA)

Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to the Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati responded to reports that President Donald Trump’s administration is pursuing inspections of “suspicious” Iranian military sites. Velayati stated that “under no circumstances will the Americans be allowed to visit Iran’s military bases.” He stated that the U.S.’s “futile” remarks “only serve to decrease its dignity” on the international stage. (Radio Farda)

• IRGC Air Force Commander Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh echoed Velayati’s comments. He stated that Iran “will not give [the U.S.] permission” to investigate Iran’s military bases. Hajizadeh added that Iran “has shown a small sample of [its] missile capabilities” and that the U.S. and Israel should understand that Iran “has red lines” with regard to its security. (Fars News Agency)