Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh and Ahmad Majidyar. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English   

Politics

• A parliamentary majority forces Ahmadinejad to come to parliament for a questioning session. 
• Baztab-e Emrouz comments on Ahmadinejad's request to inspect the Evin Prison: "Mr. Ahmadinejad, don't hurry, God willing, you will soon see Evin!"
• Rafsanjani warns "those who want to use the popular vote for cosmetic purposes." 
• Mohammad-Jafar Behdad, the Presidency's Political Bureau director, slams statements made by Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Saidi, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Representative to the Revolutionary Guards:
  • "When someone who is wearing the clerical robe humiliates and weakens the people and republicanism in the name of defending religion, he not only does not aid religion and the regime of the guardianship, but also commits a grave mistake by claiming that there is a conflict between the people and the regime... Thanks God 95% of the people don't use time to read such statements and analysis and those who read it are not influenced by it."
• A court has rejected a request for bailing Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani out of prison. 

Diplomacy

• Commentary on the third presidential debate:
  • E'temad praises president Obama's "green light" to further negotiations with the Islamic Republic.
    • Columnist Fayaz Zahed: "Iran can make the claim that it has forced the great powers to make such a confession [that the Islamic Republic has the right to enrich uranium.]"
  • Tehran-e Emrouz: Obama or Romney, it does not make any significant difference in US foreign policy.

Military and Security

• Panjereh runs a background story on how the Islamic Republic could potentially destabilize the Persian Gulf shipping.
• Ala al-Din Boroujerdi, parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee chairman, discusses the murder of Iranian diplomats in Mazar-e Sharif in 1998.
  • Panjereh provides background information about the Iranian diplomats killed.

Economy

• Baztab-e Emrouz accuses Ahmadinejad of pursuing a "scorched earth policy" when it comes to Iran's economy, before handing over the presidency to his successor.
• Baztab-e Emrouz slams the authorities' claim that $5 billion counterfeit dollars circulate in the Iranian market: "At times of fluctuations in the value of foreign currency, economic authorities spread the rumor of circulation of counterfeit dollars in the market in order to reduce demand for foreign currency... Such rumors have negative impact on the economy."

Trade

• Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi addresses the press in Dubai:
  • "If the sanctions get tighter, we will stop our oil export... We have a plan for the non-oil revenue era. Until now, we have had no serious problems, but if the sanctions are tightened, we will execute those plans... Iran's current oil production is four million barrels per day... We are no longer importing gasoline, we have become gasoline exporters." 

Media

• Baztab-e Emrouz praises the high level of economic discussions at presidential debates in the United States, and compares them with the televised debates on Iranian television prior to the 2009 presidential election.

Photo of the Day

• Tehran.