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

• Iran, close to the Ahmadinejad government, criticizes Hojjat al-Eslam Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, head of the Chief Inspectorate. According to Iran, two days after the name of Pour-Mohammadi’s assistant was mentioned in the $3 billion embezzlement case, the assistant has passed away. Iran accuses Pour-Mohammadi of profiting from bulldozers imported from Dubai and buses from China. 
• Baztab-e Emrouz attacks Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari, whose family, according to the news agency, are in Europe and North America "living on public funds."

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad accuses “the enemies” of stealing Iran’s rain to cause drought.
• Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran temporary Friday prayer leader: "Canada is not a powerful and important state. And in the course of its history it has shown that it blindly follows the United States."

Economy

• News stories on the sharp increase in the price of the U.S. dollar in Iran:
  • Iranian media asks Ahmadinejad about the rise of U.S. dollar to 260,00 rial: "What did you have for lunch today...? I never said [foreign currency] would be cheaper, but we are trying to improve the situation... You asked about anything but important questions."
  • Mrs. Kiani-Rad, the Central Bank's foreign exchange deputy, refuses to comment on the issue.
  • Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari accuses "world Zionism," the United States and "local profiteers" of manipulating the exchange rate. 
  • Tabnak tries to explain that the increasing price of the U.S. dollar could "theoretically" be beneficial.

Photo of the Day

• Mehran Mirazaei, world youth free style wrestling champion.