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:
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Mojtaba Zolnour, deputy representative of the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guards, says the Guards will - if necessary - enter the arena to counter the "current of deviation."
  • An unnamed source tells Fararu that Ahmadinejad cancelled his visit to Armenia because "two members of his entourage are not allowed to leave Iran."
    • Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, Ahmadinejad's senior assistant, refutes the story.
• Iran Briefing releases a report on position of the Imam Sadeq University graduates among the elites of the Islamic Republic.
• A Youtube video shows former Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ezheh-i visiting a witchdoctor. Video.

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad warns Saudi Arabia: "Some regional states should be vigilant and not play a role in the schemes of the United States. We have seen that during the past wars, all United States' wars have been against their former friends.
• Mostafa Najjar, spokesman of Egypt's Adl Party comments on his recent visit to Iran: "The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting [Ezatollah Zarqami] said that 'the Egyptian revolution is Islamic…' I stressed that the Egyptian revolution is without parallel, both Muslims and Christians participated in it... Zarqami told me: 'You should ask the Egyptian authorities how they allow Hillary Clinton... to walk around in Tahrir Square and take photos, but prevent Iranians from entering Egypt and deny them visas…' In the near future Iran will witness change because of the great gap between the ruling elites and the youth..." 
• [E] Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast warned that the US and the Zionist regime have hatched various plots to push the regional countries into military and internal conflicts.
• [E] Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast cautioned that the US and Israel are attempting to derail popular uprisings in the region in a bid to block the spread of Islamic awakening to their regional allies and proxies.

Military and Security

• Yadollah Javani, Revolutionary Guards Political Bureau chief, urges the press to call Ayatollah Khamenei "Imam Khamenei."

Nuclear Issue

• Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran Atomic Energy Organization director, says the Islamic Republic will triple the amount of "20 percent enrichment” produced.

Economy

• Exchange rate: $1 = 11,710 rials.

Photos of the Day

• Mashhad’s largest mural depicting Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh is erased.