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

• Presidential crisis:
  • According to Mashregh News, a new political formation called Jebhe-ye Paydari-ye Enqelab-e Eslami [The Islamic Revolution Resistance Front] led by Sadeq Mahsouli, former Welfare and Social Security minister, is mobilizing cabinet ministers fired by Ahmadinejad.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi, representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards: "The president must on some junctures recognize his mistakes since the expectations of the people have not been met... The doubt which has emerged can be removed and we expect that the statesmen remain true to the allegiance and promises which they had with the people and the Leader."
  • Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli criticizes Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei's school of Iran: "The martyrs were martyred in the path of the Islamic Republic and not the school of Iran."
• Hojjat al-Eslam Jafar Shojouni: "Mr. [Mohammad] Khatami who today talks about liberalizing the political atmosphere of society desires to return to the political and electoral arena. But he must first answer to his betrayals towards the revolution... Reformists whose inner [thoughts] are Israeli and British, and their grandees such as [Ataollah] Mohajerani and [Mohsen] Kadivar have returned to the bosom of their true supporters and have no popular base, but they have the insolence to demand preconditions in order to make the election more enthusiastic... The reformists are smelling kabob, they don't know that donkeys are being grilled!"  
• News stories concerning the relationship between Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Imam of the Era:
  • Ayatollah Ahmad Alam al-Hoda, Mashhad Friday prayer leader, says the Guardian Jurist is "the Public Relations Deputy of the Imam of the Era," and "the Absolute Guardianship of the Jurist is the only means of communication with the Imam of the Era during his occultation." 
  • Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi addresses the Basij in Mazandaran province: "If someone desires the Imam of the Era to be happy with him, he must ensure the happiness of the Leader, since the Guardian Jurist is the person who transmits the commands of the Imam of the Era to the people."

Diplomacy

•  [E] The Islamic Republic supports resistance of the regional nations against the US and Israel, Iranian Ambassador to Damascus Ahmad Moussavi said, cautioning about enemies' plots against Islam and Muslims.

 Military and Security

• Mohammad-Taqi Ossanlou, Hamzeh Seyyed al-Shohada Base of the Revolutionary Guards Ground Forces, says the fight against the PEJAK continues in northwestern Iran.
• Mashregh News reports on a missile produced to "counter the United States aircraft carriers" in the Persian Gulf.
• Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Heydar Moslehi, Interior Minister Mohammad-Mostafa Najjar, and Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati address an Intelligence Ministry seminar.
• Hamoun-Shahr in Sistan va Balouchestan province has been without water for the past four days.
• Ahmadinejad in Mahan, Kerman province: "The enemies don't fear the bombs and missiles of the Iranian nation. With their false claims, and promotion of Iranophobia in the region, they want to secure their hegemony and plunder. The claims of the enemies about Iran are nothing but lies. The Iranian nation has friendly relations with all countries and has no record of violating [their rights]. The missile of the Iranian nation is scientific and industrial progress which is achieved every single day and it is decisive in sharing it with friendly and neighboring countries."

Nuclear Issue

• Ahmadinejad comments on Russia's "step for step" proposal to solve the nuclear issue: "Today, the hegemonic [powers] talk of a step for step movement to solve the nuclear issue of our country. Iran has taken the first step and had cooperated with the IAEA. Now it is their turn to take a step."
• [E] Ahmadinejad called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to show a positive reaction to Tehran's good will after Iran took the first step by cooperating with the UN nuclear watchdog, and said that the ball is now in the IAEA's court.

Religion, Society and Culture

• Mashregh News slams the Shabaniyeh Festival commemorating the Hidden Imam’s birthday in Tehran’s Azadegan Park, which it called "a bad dress and bad hijab show." Musicians also reportedly encouraged public dancing.
• According to Ebrahim Hajj-Mozaffari, "One in every six marriages [in Iran] ends in divorce. In Qom province, one in every 4.7 marriage ends in divorce, a statistic which is a source of concern." According to Hajj-Mozaffari, male addiction to narcotics is the main reason behind divorce in Qom province and the average age of divorced women is under 25. This statistics gives Qom the second highest divorce rate in Iran.

Trade

• [E] Turkish Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz stressed on Thursday that the two neighboring countries of Iran and Turkey are determined to boost their trade exchanges to $30bln in the near future.

Photo of the Day

• Summer in and around Abbasabad.