Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin.  To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.
 
(E) = Article in English

Politics

• Ahmadinejad attacks critics of his economic performance as "those who do not want to see this government succeed." 
• Javan Online (close to the Revolutionary Guards) warns against "shared goals of the current of deviation and the reformists" after "conquest of the parliament":
  • 1. Restricting the powers of the Leader
  • 2. Increasing the powers of the president
  • 3. Imposing dual authority
  • 4. Insisting upon referenda
  • 5. Attempts to change the constitution." 
• Hijab crisis in the wake of Iran's special issue on women's dress:
  • The legal proceedings have begun against Iran. 
  • Parliamentarians continue attacks against Iran in the row over the newspaper's criticism against the hijab. 
  • Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi slams Iran. 
  • Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami demands an apology from Iran's editorial board. 

Diplomacy

• Jomhouri-ye Eslami recognizes the criticism against Syria, but asks why the West did not criticize Saudi Arabia's suppression of the Shi'a in Bahrain. 
• [E] Ahmadinejad, in a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez, voiced satisfaction with the improvement of Chavez's health, and reiterated that Iran will strongly maintain its alliance with Venezuela against imperialism. 
• [E] Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described Iran as the origin and the main source of inspiration for the growing tide of Islamic awakening in the region. 
• [E] Iran on Tuesday called on the western countries, especially the US, to keep out of the Syrian issue, and asked the regional states to help the government in Damascus to settle its internal problems. 
• [E] Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani expressed deep concerns about the brutal behavior of the British police towards protestors, and reiterated that David Cameron's government showed that it cannot tolerate its opponents. 
• [E] Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast on Tuesday underlined ineffectiveness of the US State Department's new plot for interfering in Iran's affairs, and stated that defending Iran sets a priority for the Iranian nation. 

Military and Security

• Ahmadinejad dismisses his brother Davoud as Representative of the President to and secretary of the Passive Defense Committee. 
• According to Mashregh News, "the current of deviation" has "decided to establish a counter espionage directorate in the Presidency," which will function as a "parallel intelligence organization." 
• Panjereh analyst Ali Rajabi accuses the United States and Israel of supporting the PEJAK terrorist group.  Also, here and here.
• Ali Fadavi, IRGC Navy chief, addressing the Javad al-Aemeh Naval Academy, says: "The high level of our intelligence superiority has led to the passivity and confusion of the enemy... At the tactical level we have identified enemy behavior in various scenarios and have adjusted the level and direction of our capacities to counter those behaviors..." 

Photos of the Day

• Demonstration in front of the British Embassy in Tehran condemns suppression of the riots in Britain.