Iran News Round Up

The Iran News Round Up ran from February 2009-September 2018. Visit the Iran File for the latest analysis.

 A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analyst Will Fulton and Iran Intern Amir Toumaj. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Politics

  • President Hassan Rouhani is the guest of Head of the Assembly of Experts Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani and will meet with ten members of the assembly to discuss the country's affairs.
  • Supervision and Strategic Advisor to President Rouhani Mohammad Bagher Nobakht announced the establishing of Management and Fundamental  Change Agency that will include the Strategic Supervision and Human Capital and Management Expansion directorates. He added that the administration will improve the population's welfare within 100 days. 
  • Rouhani’s deputy, Mohammad Ali Najafi, said, “In my opinion, specialist and technical opposition to [nominated] ministers was very low and Parliamentary discussions were mostly political opposition… In my opinion, members who politically opposed the proposed ministers did not taunt.” 
  • Head of the Principlists Parliamentary faction MP Gholam Ali Haddad Adel discussed votes of confidence to Rouhani’s appointments and stated, “We must all strive so the country does not return again to the tense years of 1999 and 2009. If members of Parliament discuss and criticize in casting votes of confidence to ministers, it is not with the intention of opposing the administration, because we have no reason and interest to oppose the administration… Our pride [stems from the fact] that we obey the velayat-e faghih, therefore any criticism that takes place toward ministers is because we want qualified and competent ministers to be placed in the administration... we put forth the possibility that in some matters the groundwork for creating tension and extremism takes place.” 
  • Regarding his controversial statements about Iran's nuclear program during the televised presidential debates, Senior Adviser to the Supreme Leader for Foreign Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati said, “The Supreme Leader determines nuclear policies and we must all obey it…. My opinions in the elections were completely personal and my expert opinion at that time and no previous coordination had taken place.”
  • Motalefeh Party Central Council member MP Hamid Reza Taraghi dismissed rumors of Ministry of Sciences caretaker Jafar Tofighi’s appointment to Minister of Sciences because “Mr. Rouhani knows the Parliament’s spirit…because Tofighi’s records are also like [previously rejected appointee] Jafar Mili Monfard, who [MPs] did not cast a vote of confidence for.” 
  • Steadfastness Front and Principlists Parliamentary faction member MP Ali Asqar Zare’i stated, “Mr. President must observe [the ministers’] positions regarding the [2009] sedition in his appointments in addition to the expertise of the individuals… The most prominent red line is political performance of the ministers is the [2009] sedition and positions must be clear.” 
  • Education and Research Parliamentary Commission Spokesman MP Abdolvahid Fiazi urged President Rouhani to introduce a new Minister of Sciences who “does not have the former appointee’s issues.”
  • Mashhad Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Alam ol-Hoda discussed the Education Minister appointment while addressing members of the Basij Culturalists Organization Council:
    • “The election of the respected President has importance [because] he is approved by the [Supreme Leader], and if we want to pay attention to the amount of his vote, we will see that he only received 50.7% of the votes and a large number of the people did not vote for [Rouhani].”
    • “What the enemies have aimed at is the pillar of the revolution, meaning the velayat-e faghih and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.”
    • “You must not allow secular currents and [2009] institutions of sedition to confiscate the country’s political events for their advantage and acquire the Education and Training [Ministry].”
    • “Basiji culturalists must identify political currents and not allow such events to occur.”

Regional Developments

Diplomacy

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Abbas Eraghchi discussed the upcoming meeting between President Rouhani and the Sultan of Oman, reacted to the release of CIA’s involvement in the 1953 coup d’etat and the stopping of an Indian oil tanker in the Persian Gulf, and emphasized Iran’s positive role in resolving the Syrian crisis:
    • Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said will travel to Tehran next week to be President Rouhani’s first foreign guest.
    • “The publishing of these documents [by the CIA] neither add to our information nor reduce anything from the American’s crimes… Apology has meaning when it accompanies behavioral change, and in behavioral change, countries’ good faith is determined.”
    • “This ship faced technical difficulties and this caused the pollution of water. We are waiting for investigation in this field to be completed. By international regulations, it must be determined whether the responsibility is with the ship or not, and if it is the ship’s captain must answer.” 

Military and Security

Nuclear Issue

  • Foreign Affairs Spokesman Eraghchi also discussed the unchangeableness of certain policies in Iranian nuclear positions and the Bushehr nuclear plant:
    • “It does not make a difference whether the case is handed to the Supreme National Security Council or the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Certain fundamentals and basics of our policies in the nuclear discussion are unchangeable.”
    • “We are waiting for Mr. Rouhani to determine the official responsible to pursue nuclear negotiations so these negotiations are with which institution.”
    • “We are not at all inclined nor want dialogue to be for [the sake of] dialogue and negotiations for [the sake of] negotiations and this is not acceptable to us. We request resulting and targeted negotiations that take place in the framework of a determined time.”
    • “Currently, the Bushehr power plant is undergoing its last stages of tests, and if everything goes well, we imagine that the plant will be ready for inauguration and transfer to the Islamic Republic of Iran within the next few weeks.”
  • Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani stated, “Currently, an opportunity has been created that if the West is not greedy and if it also becomes clear for them that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, multiple formulas [to resolve] this issue can be found because nothing in the world of politics is without solutions.” 

Economy

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