(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his assistance in compiling)
Diplomacy
- Tabnak says Iranian authorities have arrested an Iranian accused of spreading rumors regarding an assassination plot against Russian president Vladimir Putin during his visit to Tehran.
- The Islamic Republic to open an embassy in La Paz, Bolivia.
- Larijani in Egypt: “There are no serious obstacles to Iran-Egyptian relations.”
- ’Etemad slams the position of the Iranian foreign ministry with regard to Iran’s share of the Caspian Sea.
- Vice President Ahmad Mousavi appointed ambassador to Damascus.
- Asr-e Iran publishes parts of a letter written by Mostafa Chamran, former Iranian defense minister and founding father of the armed wing of Lebanese Hezbollah, who later died in a helicopter crash: “Now that everyone knows Qadhafi is involved in the killing of Imam Sadr, why should the Islamic Republic engage in relations with Libya?”
- Clarification of his Imam Musa al-Sadr’s fate on the agenda of Iran-Libya talks.
- Aftab-e Yazd reports of diplomatic activities of Iraq’s attempts to rally Arab state support for Iraqi territorial demands with regard to the Algiers Accord of 1975.
- Iran stresses media cooperation with China.
Politics
- In a lengthy interview, former foreign minister Ebrahim Yazdi recalls the 1979 Guadeloupe Conference which sealed the fate of the Imperial regime.
- Former nuclear negotiator Mousavian, accused of espionage, welcomes an open trial and publication of the documents used against him.
- Tabnak quotes an article from Borna on tactical marriages among the political elites of the Islamic Republic. Among some of the more interesting cases include the marriage of former prime minister, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard; former president Mohammad Khatami, who is married with Zohreh Sadeqi, daughter of sister of Imam Mousa Sadr; and Mohammad-Reza Khatami, who is married to Zahra Eshraqi, grand daughter of Grand Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini. Mohammad-Reza Khatami’s son is now married to the daughter of former Iranian ambassador to France, Sadeq Kharrazi, who himself is brother of former Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi. Former parliamentarian Tajzadeh is married to daughter of former influential ambassador to Damascus, and one of the theoreticians of Lebanese Hezbollah, Mohtashami-pour.
Economy and Trade
- Tehran mayor Qalibaf to travel to Baghdad to sign several construction contracts with his Iraqi counterpart.
- Rafsanjani stresses necessity of privatization.
- Turkmen gas deliveries to resume
- Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham: “We are working on long term plans to solve the inflation problem.”
- Iranian oil output to reach 4.2 million b/d in March 2008.
- Budget bill to be submitted to parliament next week.
Society, Culture, and Religion
- Raja condemns publication and distribution of an underground book which refutes official attacks against the Bahai faith, “Kankashi dar bahai-setizi” [Research into anti-Bahaism.] by Sohrab Nikou-Sefat.
- Arya condemns a CNN co-production on the life of the Prophet Muhammed which is to be aired on a European TV channel.
- Security agents and members of Basij Resistance Force attack the office of Tahlil Rooz which had taken pictures of security forces abusing women in Shiraz as a part of “societal security scheme” and had announced publication of the pictures.
- Ayatollah Khazali: “Nowrouz [the Iranian New Year with pre-Islamic roots] should not be our big new year.”
- Iranian Jews denies any organized emigration effort.