Iran News Round Up

Politics

• In an attempt to present Rafsanjani as a revolutionary, Agahsazi releases a 1960's speech of Rafsanjani warning against "Jews who let as if they are Muslims" and "those who try to cleanse the Quran of anti-Jewish verses."

·         [E] The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has ordered the suspension of any measures regarding the Islamic Azad University at the present time.

·          [E] Iran held a ceremony on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the abduction of four diplomats kidnapped in Lebanon in 1982.

o    [E] Ahmadinejad on the incident:  "The occupiers and evil-minded Zionists and their supporters are not able to slow down or stop the speedy move of the Islamic Revolution by kidnapping and fighting divine justice.”

·         [E] Iranians commemorated the 22nd anniversary of shooting down of an Iranian passenger plane by a US warship in the Persian Gulf in 1988 in an official ceremony held at the site of the incident on Saturday.

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad visits Nigeria.

·         [E] Ahmadinejad sent a letter of condolence to his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sulayman over the death of Lebanon's top Shiite cleric grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hossein Fadlallah.

·         [E] Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that Iran will use all its capabilities to defend the rights of its citizens abroad, alluding to the fate of Sharam Amiri, an Iranian scholar allegedly abducted by the US in Saudi Arabia last year.

·         [E] Ahmadinejad began an African tour Tuesday that will take him to Mali and Nigeria, where he is to attend a summit of the Group of Eight Developing Countries (D8).

o    [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki: "Iran attaches a high priority to the development of cooperation with Islamic and developing countries within the framework of the D8 and spares no efforts to strengthen relations with the [D8] member countries.”

o    [E] Ahmadinejad signed five cooperation agreements with Malian President Touré.

·         [E] The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Iraq's authorities have agreed to extradite 12 Iranian prisoners who were convicted of entering the country illegally.

·          [E] The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Swiss embassy officials in Tehran for a second time to protest the alleged abduction of an Iranian scholar by the US last year.

·          [E] "Current conditions have created a proper capacity for strengthening relations between Tehran and Tripoli [Libya],” said Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council.

·         [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani is scheduled to leave for Geneva, Switzerland, later this month to participate in the Third World Conference of the Speakers of Parliament.

·         [E] Iranian and Afghan officials in a meeting of the two countries' joint Committee on Political Consultations discussed mutual cooperation in different political, security, economic and parliamentary fields.

·         [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani underlined Iran’s desire to deepen the ties between Iran and Thailand.

·          [E] Iran asked for a probe into the results of NATO's 9-year-old “occupation” of Afghanistan, saying the problems of drugs and terrorism have worsened since the deployment of foreign troops.

Military and Security

• Parviz Fattah, Revolutionary Guards Cooperative Foundation chief, explains the IRGC's involvement in Mehr Housing Scheme of the government.
• Revolutionary Guards Chief Mohammad-Ali Jafaari warns against foreign enemies and stresses the role of the IRGC in safeguarding the revolution.
• Basij Chief Mohammad-Reza Naghdi speaking in Kordestan says Basij of the Engineers will be more active in "development efforts."
• [E] The Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the leaders of the anti-Iran “terrorist” group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO).
• [E] A senior police chief claimed Saturday that Iran's Law Enforcement Police forces have disbanded 1383 major drug-dealing rings throughout the country in just three months.
• [E] The Iranian Air Force plans to deploy reconnaissance drones along the country's borders, an Air Force commander announced Sunday.
• [E] A senior Iranian lawmaker announced Tuesday that Iran is likely to consider other possible options for replacing the S-300 air defense missile system if Russia refrains from delivering it.
• [E] Iran plans to launch the Rasad 1 satellite into space at the end of August, said Iran's telecommunications minister.

Nuclear Issue

• Ali-Akbar Salehi, Iran Nuclear Energy Organization director-general: "The world has witnessed that we produced 20% enriched fuel... And after testing the fuel, we will deliver it to Bushehr nuclear power plant... Our main goal has been to secure fuel to our nuclear power plants. We produce 20% fuel to secure our reserves. We do not want to enrich our entire stock into 20%, we just want to preserve our right to enrich 20%... We are not interested in enriching more than our need... We have intensified our uranium exploration activities. Exploration has become our first priority... Activities of the Saghand mine in Yazd has also intensified... The Narigan mine has also been identified... We have found traces of uranium in two mines near Bandar Abbas... Activities in Natanz follow their natural course..."
• [E] Officials of the P5+1 in their latest meeting in Brussels on Friday underlined their dual-track policy towards Iran.
• [E] Iran said if its conditions are met, it can start talks with P5+1 countries beginning September 1.  “A prerequisite to such talks is that all sides abide by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and take stance on operations which go beyond the treaty including nuclear activities of Zionist regime,” said Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili.
• [E] Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced that the country's first nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr will start operation in September.
• [E] China has criticized the United States for imposing unilateral sanctions against Iran, saying Washington should not act outside UN resolutions.
• [E] Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman: "Definitely, the (nuclear) fuel cycle will continue its activity in Iran.”

Economy

• The bazaar in Tehran strikes for the second day in a row protesting against 70% increase in taxes.
• Value Added Tax to increase from 3 to 8% as a part of financing the fifth economic development program.

·         [E] The Iranian oil ministry announced that it plans to invite friendly countries with experience in the oil and gas industries—like Russia and Malaysia—to cooperate with Iran in developing its giant oil and gas fields.

·         [E] Iranian Oil Minister Seyed Masoud Mir-Kazzemi announced on Monday that two new gas fields had been found in northeastern and southern Iran.

·         [E] Iran's annual inflation rate has fallen to 9.4%, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) announced.

Trade

·         [E] Tehran warned that any effort by the western countries to block the supply of jet fuel to Iran under unilateral sanctions would be reciprocated.

·         [E] Officials associated with Britain, Germany, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all report that no ban has been imposed on refueling Iranian planes in their respective airports.

·         [E] Iran has confirmed reports that financial institutions in the United Arab Emirates have frozen 41 accounts linked to Iranian entities following the new UN sanctions.

o   [E] The head of the Iran-UAE Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday that Iran will scale back trade relations with the UAE and may ban tourist trips.

·         [E] Ahmadinejad announced Saturday that the country's industrial exports have reached $18bln in the current Iranian year (started March 21).

o   [E] Iranian Custom's Director-General for Statistics and Information Technology announced that Iran's non-oil exports showed a 33.3% growth in value, amounting to over $4.5bln, in the first two months of the current Iranian year.

·         [E] Two-thirds of the Iran Air fleet has been prohibited from flying in the airspace of the EU countries due to safety concerns “not related to UN sanctions,” said a spokesperson for the European Commission.

·         [E] The project for the construction of a railway linking Iran to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan— "the Modern-Age Silk Road"—will be completed in 2011.

·         [E] Iranian Mines and Industries Minister announced on Monday that Iran and Turkey plan to build a prototype industrial border town at Makou.

·         [E] Two-thirds of the Iran Air fleet has been prohibited from flying in the airspace of the EU countries due to safety concerns “not related to UN sanctions,” said a spokesperson for the European Commission.

·         [E] Head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization said Tuesday that Iran has exported $5.8b worth of non-oil products in Q2 of 2010, a 27% increase from the previous period.

·         [E] The head of the Iran-UAE Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday that Iran will scale back trade relations with the UAE following its freeze of 41 Iranian bank accounts.

·         [E] Several wholesale cloth traders have gone on strike in the Tehran Grand Bazaar to protest rising taxes; another guild announced walkout plans.

Religion, Society and Culture

·         [E] Khamenei has communicated the macro-policies of an initiative announced in late March to reform the consumption pattern of the country.

·         [E] The 9th International Trade Exhibition kicked off in Iran's northwestern province of West Azarbaijan on Wednesday.

·         [E] The Thomas Erben Gallery in New York is set to mount a solo exhibition of works by Iranian painter Ala Dehghan, showcasing more than 70 paintings.

·         [E] A group of prominent Iranian handicraft artists are to participate in a contemporary Islamic art exhibition to be hosted in Munich, Germany.

·         [E] Iran is planning to hold the 17th annual International Youth Visual Arts Festival hosting 280 artists from Iran and around the globe.

Photos of the Day

• Display of confiscated alcoholic beverages.