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

• Rafsanjani at Friday prayers:
  • "In the days prior to Nowruz, the U.S. President expressed his will to negotiate with Iran in a video message, but in his words there were also words which disclosed hidden intentions...
  • The U.S. President in his message spoke of terrorism as if Iran is a supporter of terrorism...He has also discussed the issue of arms which is a reference to nuclear weapons and missiles...These issues must be discussed during consultancy and we must not be prejudiced. Therefore it would not be correct to follow such issues.
  • The Supreme Leader answered Obama very well and said that he sees no change in America's policies since these policies are policies of the past but formulated with new words. The words of the Supreme Leader were completely true, and in continuity with the words of the Imam [Khomeini] and this is what we have said during the past 30 years...
  • The U.S. has subjected the people of Iran to injustice for the past 40 to 50 years and must revise its behavior...There are those who mistakenly believe [Khamenei's statements] serve as a green light to America, but this is not the case and this is the position Iran has held from the beginning of the revolution...
  • We have no enmity with the American nation and if the U.S. government is just in its behavior and follows international standards there is no need for enmity and the Supreme Leader has explained this very clearly and must all unite around this position." 
• Presidents of Iran and Syria agree in a phone conversation that "Zionism is on the defensive." 
•  Foreign Ministry spokesman Ghashghavi says Iran will participate at the Afghanistan conference in The Hague.
  • Contacts between NATO and the Islamic Republic officials in order to "investigate mutual viewpoints...with regard to Afghanistan." 
  • (E) U.S. welcomes Iranian participation.
• Foreign Minister Mottaki’s says in Brazil that "the entire world welcomes [Obama's promise of] change."
  • Mottaki to visit Venezuela.
  • Ahmadinejad to visit Brazil.
    • (E) Silva anxiously awaits.
• Supreme National Security Council member Jalili visits India. 

• Presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi says the society has "ignored the underprivileged classes."
  • Adds: "Winning or not is not so important. What is important is that the president has a national view. Unfortunately there were some who would gain access to office and consider themselves the nation [personified] and marginalize other [political actors.] 
  • Kargozaran technocratic faction senior member Mohammad Atrian-Far says in an interview with Der Spiegel that the viewpoints of Mousavi are closer to those of the Supreme Leader than viewpoints of Mohammad Khatami.
• Abdollah Naseri, Academic and Central Committee member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution: "Khatami's withdrawal from the presidential campaign was not planned. As soon as Khatami became aware of Mousavi's candidacy he withdrew from the campaign...It is unknown how close the viewpoints and positions of Mr. Mir-Hossein Mousavi are to the viewpoints and positions of the reformists, but there certainly are some similarities, especially in the field of culture...Mousavi seems serious in his candidacy and he has on repeated occasions stressed that he will not leave the campaign..." 

• Tehran's police chief said the crime rate has increased ten percent in the last year. Speaking to Radio Farda, a Tehran-based lawyer blamed the increase on inflation, while a sociologist believes that a culture of violence has become institutionalized in Iranian society (audio)

• Entekhab News disputes rumors on assassination attempt on Ayatollah Vaez Tabasi who visited Taybad in order to participate at the joint seminar of Sunni and Shi'a clergy. 

• As Valfajr Shipping Company of the Revolutionary Guards, engaged in transport of passengers from mainland Iran to Kish, overbooks stranding thousands of passengers.

• Following the death of an Iranian blogger in prison, the regime has arrested 18 more people for "cyberspace offenses." The arrests were made by Iran's Center for Addressing Organized Cyberspace Offences, a group affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Meanwhile, a London-based analyst told Radio Farda that the IRGC's increasing restrictions on the Internet signifies the gradual militarization of Iran's entire political system.

• A spokesman for an Iranian press freedom group told Radio Farda that the "Iranian public has somewhat lost their trust in national media and mostly relies on foreign news agencies"

• Caravans visit Iran/Iraq war sites.