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

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will lead this Friday's prayer in Tehran.

   

Diplomacy

• News stories about the "Islamic awakening", particularly in Bahrain:

   

  • Khamenei addresses youth from 73 countries at the Islamic Awakening Youth Conference in Tehran:

     

    • "Humanity has left behind all materialist schools of thought and ideologies, be it Marxism, liberal democracy or national secularism, and has embarked on a new era, the most important characteristic of which is attention of the nations towards God Almighty..."

       

    • "The uprising of the nations in the region against dependent dictatorships is a part of mankind’s struggle against global dictatorship of the Zionists. As it passes this great historical juncture, it will liberate itself from dominance of these dangerous dictatorships. And this great change will, based on the truthful promise of God, lead to the freedom of nations and the divine rule and spiritual values..."

       

    • "The Islamic awakening movement does not make a distinction between Shi’as and Sunnis. Followers of all Islamic sects are in the arena to struggle in solidarity..."

       

    • "There are some geographic, historical, and social differences between the Muslim nations and there is no unitary role model for all Islamic countries. What is important is that they oppose the satanic Zionist and American dominance and don't tolerate the existence of the cancerous tumor of Israel..."

       

    • "Wherever there is an activity and plan beneficial to Israel and the United States, we must be vigilant and should consider that an alien [movement] contrary to the interests of the nations. Wherever there is an Islamic, anti-Zionist, anti-imperialist, anti-corruption movement, all Muslims will share the same opinion to approve and strengthen it..."

       

    • "Western media or the media dependent on the West try to plant discord and create divisions by depicting the problem of Bahrain as a Shi'a and Sunni issue, but there is no difference between the movements of the Islamic awakening in different countries."

       

  • Hojjat al-Eslam Majid Mash'al, Islamic Clerical Council general secretary, lectures at the Sheikh-e Tousi Conference in Qom:

     

    • "The Khalifa clan was an invading clan which managed to occupy the island of Bahrain with the help of Western countries and Britain... The Khalifa clan considered the people their slaves... Of course, from 1922 to 1980, there was opposition against the Khalifa clan, but they were not successful and were suppressed by the Khalifa clan... Unfortunately, the Khalifa clan administers the entire country. They have even expropriated and sold 97% of the beaches and the sea [territory] of Bahrain... The people of Bahrain have gained self confidence and have discovered that they too can counter the unjust ruler of Bahrain... From the very beginning, the popular movement was a peaceful movement, but the Khalifa forces savagely attacked the people and severely suppressed them... The United States and Israel are trying to seize the revolutions of the Islamic states... Israel considers divisions between Muslims the key to its survival and is trying to achieve this goal by fomenting conflicts between Muslims."

       

• [E] Senior military aide to Supreme Leader Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi blasted the US for its hostile position against Tehran, and said Washington has tasked Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey with directing the regional developments against Iran's policies.

   

Iran in the Afghan Media

A long-awaited Dari language television channel, a joint project of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Iran, would go on the air in a few months, an information ministry official said on Tuesday. 

Photos of the Day

• Supreme Leader at the Islamic Awakening Youth Conference.

   

• The Saudi delegation walks out of the Islamic Inter-parliamentary Conference in protest at Hojjat al-Eslam Ali-Akbar Nateq Nouri's speech about "injustice and inequality in the world of Islam."