Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analysts Marie Donovan, Paul Bucala, and Caitlin Shayda Pendleton. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Excerpts of these translations may only be used with the expressed consent of the authors.

Key takeaway: Parliament re-elected Ali Larijani, a senior conservative politician, as parliament speaker.

Larijani defeated reformist politician Mohammad Reza Aref to become interim speaker on May 29. Parliament elected Larijani permanent speaker on May 31. The speaker serves a one-year term. A reformist parliamentarian told reporters that 50 parliamentarians elected on the joint reformist-moderate List of Hope voted for Larijani over Aref.

The Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization released a statement announcing that Iranian pilgrims will not attend this year’s Hajj. The organization’s head, Saeed Ohadi, stated that Iran and Saudi Arabia were unable to reach an agreement on the Hajj this year because Iran refused to comply with a number of “new restrictions” Saudi Arabia attempted to impose on Iran’s pilgrims. President Hassan Rouhani said that Saudi Arabia’s actions were in line with “the interests of the Zionist regime,” while Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani stated, “I hope that the absence of Iranian pilgrims is a lesson for the Saudi government.” The two sides have repeatedly failed to agree on terms to ensure the safety and travel arrangements of Iranian pilgrims following the September 2015 Hajj stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, which killed over 2,200 people.   

AEI Must-Reads

• Follow the latest electoral developments in Parliament and the Assembly of Experts, including the parliament speaker election, in the Critical Threats Project’s “Iran Elections Tracker: Updates and Analysis.”
   

• Caitlin Pendleton discusses how a reformist parliamentarian’s late disqualification could transform Iran’s domestic political scene in “Iran’s Guardian Council pushes the limits of its electoral control.”
   

• Paul Bucala has published a map depicting recent reports of Iranian military activity in Syria in “What the Khan Tuman defeat means for Iran.”
   
• Paul Bucala discusses the implications of the Artesh’s deployment to Syria in “Is Iran’s regular military pivoting to force projection?”

Domestic Politics

• Parliament re-elects conservative speaker. Parliament elected conservative lawmaker Ali Larijani as interim parliament speaker on May 29 and permanent parliament speaker on May 31. Parliament elects an interim parliament speaker as it finishes confirming parliamentarians’ qualifications and elects its permanent speaker for a one-year term after qualifications are confirmed. Larijani defeated senior reformist politician Mohammad Reza Aref in the May 29 election with 173 votes to Aref’s 103. Reformist parliamentarian Mostafa Kavakabian told reporters that 50 parliamentarians elected on the reformist-moderate List of Hope voted for Larijani over Aref. Aref withdrew from the race for permanent speaker after the May 29 vote. Larijani won 237 votes in the May 31 election, while another reformist candidate, Kavakabian, received only 11. (Fars News Agency) (Fars News Agency) (IRIB) (Tasnim News Agency)
  • Parliament also elected reformist politician Massoud Pezeshkian as first deputy speaker and Ali Motahari, an outspoken conservative who appeared on the joint reformist-moderate candidate list, as second deputy speaker. (Fars News Agency)
     
• Khamenei reportedly upholds reformist politician’s disqualification. Parliamentarian Mohammad Javad Fatahi told reporters that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has upheld the Guardian Council’s controversial post-elections disqualification of reformist politician Minoo Khaleghi. The Rouhani administration had maintained that only Parliament, not the Guardian Council, has the right to review parliamentarians’ qualifications after elections take place. Fatahi stated that Khamenei had referred Khaleghi’s case to a government dispute resolution council at Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani’s request. Fatahi added that the dispute resolution council upheld the Guardian Council’s disqualification. For more information on the significance of Khaleghi’s case, see “Iran’s Guardian Council pushes the limits of its electoral control.” (ILNA)

Military and Security

• Passive Defense Organization head: “Cyber sanctions” may be introduced against Iran. IRGC Brig. Gen. Gholam Reza Jalali warned of the possibility of foreign countries imposing “cyber sanctions” against Iran during an exhibition with IT industry officials. The Passive Defense Organization head stressed the importance of developing the National Information Network in order to counter such threats. The National Information Network is a planned independent intra-net that will be only accessible from within Iran. (Tasnim News Agency)
  • In separate comments with Fars News Agency, Jalali blamed the recent cyber attacks against Iranian government websites on Saudi Arabia but noted that it was “more of a type of show-off… the attacks were not advanced and no damage was inflicted.” Jalali also announced that Iran will hold “specialized cyber-exercises” in the coming year. (Fars News Agency)

• Supreme Cyberspace Council: Foreign messaging services must hand over their data. The Supreme Cyberspace Council, the highest state body in Iran tasked with developing and coordinating cyber policy, decreed that all foreign messaging services must store their data on Iranian users in servers located inside the country. This move would facilitate state monitoring and censorship of popular messaging services, such as Telegram, that the Iranian regime has sought to block in the past. (president.ir) (E)

Regional Developments and Diplomacy

• Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization announces cancellation of Hajj for Iranian pilgrims. The Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization released a statement announcing that Iranian pilgrims will not attend this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. The statement read, “Due to the Saudi government’s continued sabotages, the dear Iranian pilgrims are being deprived of attending the Hajj this year. The responsibility for this lies with the Saudi government.” The organization’s head, Saeed Ohadi, stated that Iran and Saudi Arabia were unable to reach an agreement on the Hajj this year as Iran refused to comply with a number of “new restrictions” Saudi Arabia attempted to impose on Iran’s pilgrims. The restrictions included a ban on raising the Iranian flag over housing units for Iranian pilgrims and restrictions on the number of Iranian clinics available during the Hajj. (Press TV) (E) (Tasnim News Agency)
  • Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati stated, “Unfortunately, Iranian pilgrims cannot go on Hajj this year... Because of the Saudi government officials’ sabotage and lack of accountability… we believe that the Hajj cannot realistically be held this year under these conditions.” (YJC) (Defa Press) 
  • President Hassan Rouhani stated, “The childish bid by those claiming to be the custodians of the two holy mosques in blocking the path of God and the Hajj as well as spreading instability in the region is [tantamount to] meeting the interests of the Zionist regime.” Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani stated, “I hope that the absence of Iranian pilgrims is a lesson for the Saudi government.” (Press TV) (E) (ISNA)

• Velayati: Fallujah is strategically important and will be free from terrorists. Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati highlighted the military operation to retake Fallujah, stating, “The value of Fallujah strategically is very important [and the city] will be free from the occupation of terrorists. This will be a great victory for the government and the nation of Iraq.” (IRNA)

• Araghchi: Iran will halt heavy water export to U.S. until payment is guaranteed. Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Head Ali Akbar Salehi stated that Iran has halted its export of heavy water to the U.S. until it receives a guarantee that the U.S. has paid for it. Salehi referred to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permits victims of terrorist attacks attributed to Iran to collect $2 billion in Iranian frozen assets and stated that the U.S. could “confiscate the [heavy water] cargo and at the same time refuse to pay for it.” Araghchi added that Iran is in talks with Russia over the sale of 40 tons of heavy water and claimed that “the Europeans” may purchase 20 tons. (Tasnim News Agency) (E) (Fars News Agency)