Iran News Round Up

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

February 14, 2011

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin. To subscribe to this daily newsletter, please visit this page, fill out the "New Subscribers" section, and check "Iran News Round Up" listed under "Projects."

(E) = Article in English

Military and Security

Reformist website Kalemeh reports that Iran’s security forces have cut residential phone lines of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard.
According to the BBC, the Islamic Republic authorities have tried to jam BBC Persian's transmissions to Iran.
Iran’s state-run news agency refutes reports that the government has permitted today’s protest rally. Aftab News earlier reported that Iran’s Interior Ministry had issued permission for today’s demonstrations at the request of Turkey’s president, who is visiting Tehran.
Political activists Abdollah Naseri and Ali Bagheri are arrested by the security forces.
Iran Press News' coverage of antigovernment demonstrations in Iran:
- Protestors clashed with the Law Enforcement Forces, the Basij and plainclothes security agents in Tehran.
- Demonstrators in Mashhad: "Khamenei, Mubarak, congratulations on your marriage!" Video.
- Clashes between Basij motorcyclists and demonstrators also broke out in Rasht. University students in Garmsar: "Motorcycles in Iran, or camels in Cairo, death to the dictator!"
- One protestor puts the number of demonstrators in Tehran at about one million people.
- Mir-Hossein Mousavi has managed to break the house arrest and is joining the demonstration.
- The authorities attack demonstrators in Tehran with paintball guns.
- Protestors intercept communication lines of the Law Enforcement Forces. Audio.
- Regime motorcyclists on their way to suppress demonstrations.
- Security forces take position to suppress demonstrators.
- Mohammad Khatami is under house arrest.
Vali-ye Amr Revolutionary Guards special unit which guards the Supreme Leader renews its allegiance with Supreme Leader Khamenei. http://www.parsine.com/fa/pages/?cid=32315
Basij Chief Mohammad-Reza Naghdi: "Western spy agencies are trying to find a mentally degenerate person self-immolate in Tehran so they can liken this with the beginning of the events in Tunisia and Egypt..."
- Naghdi adds that the Egyptian government had tried to imitate the Basij by ordering plainclothes police men beat up demonstrators, but "the Basijis are men of God,... the Egyptian plainclothes police were corrupt."
Hojjat al-Eslam Saidi, representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards, says the measure in the Guards is how close the Guardsmen are to the Guardian Jurist.
Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Hamadani praises the role of the Guards in suppressing "sedition of 2009," adds the seditionists "are marginalized."
Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi:
- "The nation will under no circumstance accept those who are opposing their Islamic revolution and who have joined the choir of the Westerners..."
- "Also during the past 32 years there were people who masked themselves as defenders of the Imam [Khomeini], the revolution and the regime, but even those who were initially deceived by them in the end opposed them..."
- "The seditionists are directed and managed from abroad. Otherwise they are nothing and can't do anything..."
[E] Iran to launch 3 new satellites by early 2012.
[E] Ahmadinejad appoints new chief of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).

Politics

According to Ardeshir Amir-Arjomand, Mehdi Karrubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi intend to participate in a demonstration on February 14, 2011, to support the people in Tunisia and Egypt.
Chants of "God is Great" the night before announced demonstrations of the Green movement.
- Tehran
- Tehran, Ekbatan
- Tehran Metro
- The Green Movement invades a concert arranged by the Islamic Republic Embassy in Malaysia, the people shout "Death to the Dictator".
According to Javan, Saideh Montazeri, daughter of the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, is trying to establish a television channel.
Tehran Emrooz discusses Ahmadinejad's closest advisers: Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Hamid Baghaei, Abolfazl Zohrevand, Mohammad-Mostafa Najjar, and Mohammad Khaleghi.
According to Mahramaneh News, the president’s brother Davoud Ahmadinejad and Meisam, Davoud's son, had chanted slogans against Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei.
- Mahramaneh News adds Davoud Ahmadineajd had chanted the slogans as Rahim-Mashaei was joining the Revolution Day Rally.
- Video of the attacks against Mashaei.
Hojjat al-Eslam Hossein Jalali, from the Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi-led Imam Khomeini Institute in Qom, says Mashaei is "Rafsanjani's infiltrator in Ahmadinejad's government."
Parliamentarian Alireza Zakani urges "the domestic servants of the United States" to learn a lesson "from the destiny of Mubarak... The United States does not even show mercy to its lackeys."

Diplomacy

According to Kayhan, Egypt is only "three steps away from Islamist government."
Sobh-e Sadegh editorializes: "The Middle East and some of its states such as Iran, Turkey, [Saudi] Arabia and Egypt... are of great geopolitical and geo-strategic importance for the world powers... The Middle East policies of the United States are completely defeated... A new Middle East is in the making."
[E] Iranian and Turkish officials to meet in Tehran to discuss developments in the Middle East and North Africa.
[E] Ahmadinejad welcomes Turkish president Gul on visit to Tehran.
[E] Iran announces exit of “useless” British envoy.
[E] Iran downgrades diplomatic ties with Britain.