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 Ali Alfoneh, Katherine Faley, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin.  To subscribe to this daily newsletter, e-mail [email protected].

 
 (E) = Article in English

 

Supreme Leader urges candidates against challenging Ahmadinejad’s foreign policy; reformist supporters beaten up by Student Basij; Pakistani officials hail Iran’s “democratic elections”; Aftab News counts 26 Ahmadinejad’s lies during debate; Supreme Leader responds to Obama’s speech in Cairo; Khamenei emphasizes peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program; Ramezanzadeh describes narcotics as only commodity becoming cheaper during Ahmadinejad’s presidency; IRNA accuses British government of supporting terrorist groups against Iran

 

Presidential Election: General

  • Entekhab News reports an "un-dramatic presidential debate" between Mohsen Rezai and Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
  • Supreme Leader Khamenei, speaking on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Khomeini’s death, criticizes candidates who challenge the Ahmadinejad’s foreign policy: "Those who claim that the Iranian nation - because of its insistence upon its rights - has been humiliated in the world is absolutely not acceptable... The interventionist and bullying enemy of the Islamic Republic which has created a unified front against the nation tries through vast propaganda to claim the Iranian nation has been humiliated, but the truth is that respect towards the great Iranian nation and the blessed Imam [Khomeini] has even found its way into the heart of hearts of the regimes of the enemy." 
    • Khamenei also defended the legitimacy of presidential election in Iran: "The enemies of the nation sometimes call Iran's elections 'appointments' and sometimes they claim that rivalry of the candidates is controlled within the government and that the election will be forged. All such struggle only serves the purpose of dealing blows to religious democracy and opposition to strong popular presence in the election...The enemy is trying to spread apathy in people and bereave the regime of its strong backing which means popular votes and most unfortunately even inside the country there are some who out of ignorance repeat the very same words of the enemy and in practice contribute to realization of the goals of the enemy and one must truly be sorry for them...The foreigners are trying to take this pride and dignity from our nation, but anyone who is interested in strengthening of the regime, in Islam and in the Iranian nation, is religiously and rationally obliged to participate in elections."
    • Khamenei urged the followers of the candidates to beware of chaos and the enemy abusing their beliefs and ideals.
    • Khamenei also stressed that the four presidential candidates should avoid any enmity or hatred among them to come up to the surface: "It is not correct that one candidate in speeches in the presence of the people or through television speeches tries to negate the other candidate...I am not against debates or conversations or criticism but all should see to it that it is done within the frameworks of religion and religious law. The people are awake, they understand and they know...opposing viewpoints in different matters is only natural but the candidates and their supporters should act in such a way at rallies and assemblies that the affairs proceed with fraternity and love and with no problem."
    • Khamenei stressed: "I have only one vote and no one is aware of it and I will not tell anyone for whom to vote since this issue is the issue of the people and belongs to the nation."
  • Shahab News reports "tense demonstrations of tens of thousands of people in Qom" following the presidential debate between Mousavi and Ahmadinejad. 
  • Mosharekat [Participation] Front sends an open letter to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting protesting against Ahmadinejad's presidential debate behavior.
  • A'zam Taleqani daughter of the late Grand Ayatollah Taleqani says Ahmadinejad's behavior at the presidential debate has harmed the Islamic Republic
  • Mousavi's wife Zahra Rahnavard defends herself in the face of accusations raised against her academic degrees by Ahmadinejad at the presidential debate. 
  • Ahmadinejad and Mousavi supporters demonstrate at Khomeini's mausoleum.
  • Hassan Khomeini defends the governments of Iran after the revolution, refutes allegations of prevalence of embezzlement among them.
  • Mousavi and Karrubi supporters beaten up by Ahmadinejad supporters and the Student Basij armed with tear gas and sticks at Tehran branch of the Azad University.
  • Following the presidential debate between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, Ahmadinejad supporters attack the Rafsanjani-led Expediency Council Strategic Studies Center's building in Nieveran and were dispersed by the Law Enforcement Forces at 05.30 in the morning.
  • Following Ahmadinejad's accusations against "wealth gathered by theft" of the Rafsanjani clan Rafsanjani in a letter to Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting demands opportunity to defend himself and his family on television.
  • Safayi Farahani, one of the individuals mentioned by Ahmadinejad as an example of economically corrupt people, demands television time against Ahmadinejad so he can defend himself. 
  • (E) Mousavi and Rezai discussed the economy in Thursday’s presidential debate.
  • (E) Fars News Agency asserts that the presidential debate between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi on Wednesday profoundly increased support for each candidate.
  • (E) Five polling stations have been set up in Germany for Iranian expatriates to vote.
  • (E) Pakistani official lauded Iran for its democratic presidential elections.
  • (E) Iranian officials accused of corruption by Ahmadinejad will be given airtime to defend themselves after the elections on June 12.

Presidential Election: Mousavi

Presidential Election: Ahmadinejad

Presidential Election: Karrubi

  • Karrubi promises that his televised debate with Ahmadinejad will be even more exciting than the debate between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi.
  • Karrubi, speaking in Rasht, says he is fighting fat cats and rentier monopolists in his campaign. 

Diplomacy

  • British Foreign Ministry refutes Ahmadinejad's claims that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had made excuses to the Islamic Republic after the Revolutionary Guard's hostage taking of British sailors. 
  • The Islamic Republic launches a website covering Iran/Balkan relations.
  • Supreme Leader Khamenei says of Obama's speech in Egypt: "I say this decisively: Creating change and a new face can't be achieved with words and slogans but is in need of action and balancing of Americas' many violations of the rights of the Iranian nation and nations of the region...The previous American government has with its violent deeds, military interventions, discriminations and forceful interventions created an ugly, hated and violent picture of the American government and the Muslim nations hate America from the very bottom of their hearths...America spoke of America and the importance of the vote of the nations but it ignored the votes of the people of Palestine when it came to election of their government of preference and by total support for the Zionist regime it called the innocent people of Palestine trouble makers..." 
  • (E) Supreme Leader Khamenei responded to Obama’s speech, saying of the United States that “Creating change and a new image cannot be gained by paying lip service and mottos, but through practical moves and compensating for US injustice towards the Iranian nation and other nations in the region.”
    • (E) Echoing this stance, Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati stated at Friday prayers that “Whatever President Obama says about forgetting the past and starting a new phase (of relations with Iran), the first condition should be a policy change toward Israel.”
  • (E) Iran has invited Turkey to work on Iran’s Information Technology projects and other technological advancements.
  • (E) Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki congratulated Ahmadinejad’s government for its success in making Iran a strong regional power, marked by the nation’s increasing involvement in regional crises.
  • (E) Iran to invest 50 million dollars in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Nuclear Issue

  • Supreme Leader Khamenei, speaking on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Khomeini’s death says: "The Iranian nation and authorities of the country have on numerous occasions declared that nuclear weapons do not exist in our military order and it was even declared that from an Islamic point of view use of nuclear weapons is haram but the Westerners and especially the United States in their propaganda of lies say that Iran is pursuing a nuclear bomb. This behavior is a clear violation of justice... The truthfulness of American statesmen is only proved when their actions change. Otherwise, even hundreds of speeches and delivery of sweet words to Islamic nations is no change." 
  • (E) New controversy stirs surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
  • (E) The IAEA’s Board of Governors reviewed Mohammed ElBaradei’s reports on Iran.

Economy

Military and Security

Trade

  • Iran to export cars to Kenya
  • (E) India has suspended its oil exports to Iran and other countries.

Photos of the Day

 

 

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