Iran News Round Up

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

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analyst Will Fulton and Iran Intern Amir Toumaj, with contributor John Lesnewich. 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.

Politics

Regional Developments

Diplomacy

Military and Security

  • IRGC Imam Hassan Mojtaba Division (Alborz Province) Public Relations released a statement denying circulated reports about the assassination of a division member. It added that the matter is under investigation.  
  • Artesh Navy Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayyari spoke on the recent achievements, projects, and operations of his forces in international waters, including drones, submarines, and changing threat assessments. He also warned foreign forces to stay out of Iran’s waters and blamed them for the insecurity of the region:
    • “If it were not for the Navy in the last four years, the economic cycle would have seen damaged because our tankers have been continuously  threatened.”
    • “Khatam ol-Anbia Base was controlled in the south during the [Iran-Iraq War], and of course today it still operates under the Supreme Leader. Other bases operate as subsidiaries to this base, including the Naval Khatam ol-Anbia Bases, one of which is connected to the Artesh and the other to the IRGC Navy. The Commanders of the IRGC, Artesh, and their naval commanders are present in these two bases.” Sayyari also spoke of the Artesh building another naval base in the north of the country.
    • “In the last 21 years, our progress in submarines cannot be compared to the rest of the world, because today, we can repair our own heavy submarines with complete reliance on internal knowledge and domestic forces. Building our own Ghadir class submarines has also begun, such that today we have built and operated this submarine. We also have a bigger Fateh class submarine  that shows our capabilities in building various submarines, which will hopefully be unveiled in the coming year.”
  • The Supreme Leader’s Representative to the IRGC Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi spoke on the US government shutdown and what he refers to as the inevitable fall of capitalism:
    • “Two or three times during the last three decades, the sponsors of capitalism have sought reform and have taken many steps to counter uprisings and fronts. This shows that the capitalist worldview is void, and will surely be on the path to decline sooner or later…. This system will fall sooner or later because it relies on greed, individualism, and unlimited and unrestricted freedom. This leads to a class system in which 99% are on one side and 1% are on the other.
    • “The many American actions towards diplomacy with Iran provide a context to make the people of the world aware, as well as to make it clear that they are not truthful in their own stances and that decision-making in the US is not united. American politicians do not have the freedom to decide, but the Zionists and Zionist lobby have a great deal of power. Recent events in America have struck blows to the American economy, so they have 17 trillion dollars of debt. Yet the Zionists follow a radical path, and the Americans will inevitably act on their words and do not dare stand against them. There are no more hidden truths, and humanity is slowly understanding that its fundamental problem is kufr [non-believing] leaders and a kufr system. As long as their problem is kufr leaders, they will rise against them and begin a movement standing against a capitalist, evil, and kufr system.” 
  • Armed Forces General Staff Industrial Preparation, Support, and Research Deputy Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hejazi spoke at the first “Necessity of Developing Weapons and Airbases for Future Battles” Conference held at Imam Hossein University on the future direction of Iran’s air capabilities and its effect on America’s call for negotiations:
    • “Despite the gap that exists in the [aerospace] manufacturing field, with scientific enlightenment and movement, it is possible to bring home these important achievements so that we can hope to close this gap in the near future. In recent years we have brought about important achievements.”
    • On the strategy of “responding to threats with threats” that the Supreme Leader described two years ago: “This strategy must come to be in operation, implementation, and action, meaning if our enemy presents achievements or capabilities, we must also present achievements and creative movements to counter them.”
    • On recent UN meetings and the US: “We cannot imagine that with one smile their hostile stances and historical animosity towards Iran will be resolved. The space between the enemy’s smile and frown is very short, and likewise the tone of the US president changed after meeting with the Zionists.”
    • “We cannot forget that the enemy is determined in its animosity. That is why we must always pay attention to preserving our readiness and reinforcing our defenses, so that we are powerful, capable, and able to speak from a position of strength during negotiations.”
    • “The reason that America is currently calling for negotiations with Iran is because our resistance capabilities and ability to influence regional equations, as well as our power both in and out of the region, have caused the enemy to shrink from its past stances.” 
  • Deputy Minister of Defense Brig. Gen. Majid Bokaei echoed Hejazi’s rhetoric at the same conference:
    • “The time between a smile and the enemy’s frown is short and we must not be deceived by these smiles, because they do not accept our system and they are in conflict with it. Even if the nuclear issue is solved they will make excuses with another position.”
    • “This is a political game for in order to gain concessions and we hope that the government, with the path that it has taken, can show the world the evil nature of America and the dominant system.”

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