Iran News Round Up

 A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin.  To subscribe to this daily newsletter, e-mail [email protected]. 

(E) = Article in English

Politics

• Ahmadinejad's speech at the memorial service of Ayatollah Khomeini:
  • "Last year, approximately 40 million people --85 percent of the voters --participated in a 100 percent free election which was a democratic world record and challenged democracy, [political] parties, wealth and the media... At this election approximately 25 million people voted for the chosen servant. One must respect everyone who participated at this election and the entire nation..."
  • "But during the [past] 30 years there were some selfish individuals who systematically considered themselves superior to the nation and considered themselves the owners of the country. Those who believed that if popular vote supported them, then they would consider the vote genuine and respectable but if the vote was against them, they would not respect it. They themselves rose to government offices within this system and method repeatedly..."
  • "Those who create bureaucratic and personal aristocracies with public funds, this is condemned from the point of view of the nation and is against the behavior of the Imam [Khomeini]..."
  • "The Imam [Khomeini] fought against king-like lifestyle of some authorities and managers...He lived with the people and was ascetic..."
• Ali Larijani, speaker of the parliament:
  • "Returning to the foundations of the revolution is a necessity of each era so that the society does not become a place of growth of innovative thoughts, since it is possible that the change of revolutionary thought - under the banner of the path of the Imam - takes place in such a way which harms the true nature of the genuine thought of the Imam."
• Reactions to the mobs preventing Hassan Khomeini to speak at the commemoration service of the death of Ayatollah Khomeini:
  • Video of mobs preventing Hassan Khomeini speaking at the memorial service for Ayatollah Khomeini.
  • Mehdi Karrubi writes an open letter to Hassan Khomeini condemning the events at Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum:
    • "Ever since I found out that a part of the armed forces is orchestrating the commemoration event this year, I was concerned and knew it would not end well. But I did not imagine this degree of insolence and shamelessness."
    • "You are most certainly aware that those purporting to propagate and interpret the line of the Imam are those who were against the Imam and supported those participating in the serial killings."
  • Mir-Hossein Mousavi's open letter condemning the attacks against Hassan Khomeini: "The actions of the few could not have been without previous engineering and acceptance of others [the authorities.]"
  • Ayatollah Mousavi Ardebili condemns attacks against Hassan Khomeini.
  • Ayatollah Sanei in a phone conversation with Hassan Khomeini says "those ordering and those performing the insults suffer from political madness."
  • Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani says the "tactics of the Supreme Leader have preserved the regime in the era of discord."
  • Fars News Agency's Sa'd-Allah Zarei analyzes the attacks against Hassan Khomeini at Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum:
    • "Unfortunately Seyyed Hassan Khomeini spoke incoherently and with abrupt sentences from the very beginning and his fear of the crowd was visible..."
    • "Contrary to the will of the innocent son of His Holiness the Imam, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini and some other members of the honorable Hojjat al-Eslam Seyyed Ahmad Khomeini’s family have gradually been dragged to a path where they are practically seen as one and the same as the heads of the discord."

Diplomacy

• Ali Larijani, speaker of the parliament: "The issue of savage behavior of the Zionist regime in its dealings with the freedom flotilla and behavior of the United States, Britain and France in the Security Council has on one hand raised a wave of hatred amongst the nations…and on the other hand it has clarified a change in international developments..."
  • [E] Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Sunday said that Israel's recent raid on the Gaza aid convoy has brought the Zionist regime into "political turmoil.”
  • [E] Iran has called on the Middle East countries to send joint aid convoys to the Gaza Strip.
  • [E] Tehran's Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in reference to the flotilla incident: "The UN once again is facing a sensitive test and its approach towards the test would deeply affect the view of the world public opinion about this body.”
  • [E] Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to play a more active role to stop Israel's continued crimes.  The OIC's primary and most essential goal is support for the al-Aqsa Mosque and the restoration of Palestinians rights.
• [E] Tehran's Envoy to Moscow criticized Russia's double-track behavior towards Iran, cautioning that such a dual approach has annoyed the Iranian people and officials.  “The Iranian people want to know why Russia does not fulfill its undertakings with regard to Iran, like the delivery of the S-300 missile defense systems."
  • [E] "Russia's decision to follow in the footsteps of the Americans is going to cost them as it will undoubtedly give rise to global condemnation," a senior Iranian official said.  The statement came a day after Russian President Medvedev described Iran as "irresponsible" and urged the country to pay heed to what he called world demands over its uranium enrichment activities.
•  [E] At the OIC meeting, Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami underlined Beirut's resolve to reinvigorate relations with Tehran.
• [E] Ahmadinejad is due to leave Tehran for Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday to attend a security summit on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
• [E] Iranian and Russian officials endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on environmental cooperation.
• [E] Ahmadinejad is scheduled to pay a visit to Tajikistan on Tuesday to take part in the “Water for Life” international conference.

Military and Security

• Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Shirazi, the supreme leader's representative to the Revolutionary Guards Navy: "The duty of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of such an un-chivalrous act [Israel attacking the flotilla] is to defend the innocent and defenseless people of Gaza...The Revolutionary Guards Navy has the power and preparedness to use all its potentials to escort freedom and peace caravans transporting humanitarian aid from the entire world to the innocent and defenseless people of Gaza."
• JARAS accuses Basij chief Naghdi of having orchestrated the attacks against Hassan Khomeini - ordered by Supreme Leader Khamenei - during the commemoration service of Ayatollah Khomeini.
• [E] Iran's Police squads discovered and seized over 150 kg of opium at a checkpoint in Iran's central province of Isfahan.
  • [E] Tons of illicit drugs will be set on fire all throughout Iran to mark the start of the national week of drug campaign on June 27.  "Spread of addiction is a (strategy of) soft war waged by the enemies to ruin the young generation," officials said.
  • [E] Iran's Police Chief said that instability and insecurity in the neighboring countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan should be viewed as the main cause of the hike in drug trafficking to Iran.

Nuclear Issue

• [E] Iranian and Turkish officials expressed the hope that the Vienna Group (Russia, France, the US and IAEA) would opt for “wise interaction” with the Tehran Declaration on nuclear fuel swap.
• [E] Oman’s parliament speaker praised Tehran's recent nuclear initiative and slammed the United States' double-standard approach towards acquisition of nuclear technology.
• [E] All members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) underlined their support for Iran's inalienable right to use peaceful nuclear technology.
• [E] Amid a US-led push for a new set of tough sanctions against Iran, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claims Tehran is likely to pull a "stunt" in the upcoming days to obstruct fresh embargos.  "I don't think anybody should be surprised if they (Iran) try to divert attention once again from the unity within the Security Council.”

Economy

• [E] The head of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has denied reports that the country is converting 45 billion euros from its reserves into dollars and gold ingots.

Trade

• [E] Royal Dutch Shell resumed business with Tehran after a six-month interval and restarted selling gasoline to Iran after a US congress gasoline embargo against Iran was withdrawn.
• [E] Exports value of Iran's raw steel has witnessed a 19% increase during the first two months of the current Iranian year (started on March 21).
• [E] The chairman of the Russian province Astrakhan's State Duma said on Sunday that his province plans to boost cooperation with Iran's northern provinces.
• [E] Iran and Turkey's national air carriers, Iran Air and Turkish Airlines, agreed to boost mutual cooperation in various areas of civil aviation.
• [E] The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul international freight train will start regular operation with daily trips beginning in mid-summer, Pakistani Minister of Railways announced.

 Religion, Culture and Society

·          [E] An Iranian cultural official on Monday underlined the necessity for the expansion of media cooperation between Tehran and Ashgabat (Turkmenistan).

 Photo of the Day

• Rafsanjani glances at Ahmadinejad during memorial service for Ayatollah Khomeini.