(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation)
Religion, Culture, and Society
- Anthopologist Fakohi says homemade Iranian pornography is spreading through the internet fast, points out the weaknesses of modernizing societies.
- Judiciary Head Shahroudi: “Whipping is among the most just punishments.”
- Public prosecutor of Qom reports of arrest of a man who claims he is the fourteenth Imam of the Shi’as. The two wives and ten children of the Imam stage demonstrations in front of the prison in Qom. The public prosecutor also says other superstitious practices are proliferating in the holy city.
- Intelligence officers in civilian dress attack the Ne’mat-Allahi Gonabadi sufis of Ahwaz.
- A third of Iranian girls born during the current year are named “Fatima.”
- 1.4 million Iranian students enroll in Iranian universities.
- Remains of 7 martyrs from the Iran-Iraq war are buried in the garden of the Iranian parliament. Made possible only with the intervention of Larijani.
- Nowsazi condemns an article in E’temad-e Melli which, according to the news agency, supports homosexuality.
- Tehran mayor Qalibaf announces appointment of female executives in various positions within the Tehran Municipality.
Economy
- Fathipour, deputy head of the Economics Commission of the Iranian parliament, urges the government to make an emergency withdrawal from the foreign currency reserve in the face of drought.
- The Energy Commission of the Iranian parliament discusses energy shortages.
- The Islamic Republic discusses transfer of half-finished power plants to the private sector.
- Iranian authorities intercept two ships smuggling subsidized Iranian fuel in Hormuzgan province.
- Donya-ye Eqtesad discusses Ahmadinejad’s economic reform program which would convert subsidies into direct distribution of oil money among Iranian citizens.
- Iranian parliamentarians say direct distribution of oil money among Iranian citizens does not mean abolishment of subsidies.
- As part of the new economic policies, Ahmadinejad promises 10 million rials to every Iranian citizen.
- Former minister of economy Danesh-Ja’fari says it is impossible to reach economic goals with the current growth rate.
- Donya-ye Eqtesad editorializes: “Regime stability is dependent on a stable banking sector.”
- Three experts discuss the housing crisis in Iran.
- Acting minister of economy and finance Semsami says his reform of Iranian economic infrastructure begins with the Customs Organization.
Trade
- Rhinehardt Mitchek, CEO of Mitchek natural gas company, says he is interested in exporting Iran’s natural gas to the European market.
- State-owned Croatian oil company INA starts oil exploration in Iran.
- Iran-China trade surpasses $20 billion.
- Level of Iranian trade with Asian countries reaches $85 billion.
- Abrar-e Eqtesadi publishes a Natural Gas of Iran in One Glance report.
- The Iranian president visits Kermanshah to inaugurate a petrochemical plant.
- A trade mission from Sistan va Baluchestan province visits Pakistan.
Diplomacy
- According to Donya-ye Eqtesad, Europeans obstruct improvement of U.S.-Iran relations.
- Larijani says rumors on opening a U.S. interest section in Tehran are “deceptive.”
- Ahmadinejad reiterates his claims that “the Americans wanted to kidnap” him while he visited Iraq, threatened those who ridicule his claims in Iran by calling them “spokesmen of the Americans.”
- According to Raja News “the Americans have ordered some elements to ridicule the kidnap plot against the Iranian president when he visited Iraq.”
- Larijani says “the Westerners don’t understand martyrdom. They think they know a lot, but they don’t.”
- Adds that is why the West “considers people of Jihad and the Hezbollah as terrorists.”
- Concludes that Western countries are dying and decaying.
- Rafsanjani urges the West not to be imperialist.
- Former president Khatami at a press conference in Oslo with former Norwegian prime minister Bondevik: “We are ready to negotiate without preconditions…Iranian exerts great influence in Iraq, but it should not be interpreted as intervention in internal affairs of Iraq. This influence has deep historical roots…”
- Safari, deputy minister of foreign affairs, says in protest against European behavior, Iran will transfer its deposits from European banks to other banks.
- Speaking in Kermanshah, Ahmadinejad talks of U.S. weaknesses in Iraq, and stresses Iran’s rise to power is a message of hope to the downtrodden of the world.
Politics
- Fatemeh Rajabi, wife of the government spokesman, accuses Tehran mayor Qalibaf of “demonstrating Reza Khan-like behavior,” a reference to the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. Rajabi also accuses the Tehran mayor of “lacking identity like other retired army commanders,” “being liked by America and the British,” “imitating the unblessed and toppled British Prime Minister Blair,” “relying on the foreigners,” “Serving the Mossad and the CIA,” and spreading “Zionist propaganda” through his newspapers.
- Rajabi also attacks former president Rafsanjani for excessive campaign spending during the fight for presidency with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and says “his clerical robe saved him from the scandal of investigation into his economic affairs.”
- Rumors of former foreign minister Ali-Akbar Velayati’s appointment as the Supreme Leader’s representative in the Supreme National Security Council.
- Judiciary head Shahroudi says division between the state and the people is the greatest threat against any political system.
- Supreme Leader Khamenei stresses the necessity of continuing the fight against corruption, says the legal system is the refuge of the downtrodden.
- 212 member of the Iranian parliament protest against arrest and prosecution of two members of the parliament involved in the Palizdar affair.
- Reacting to Palizdar’s attacks, Rafsanjani says the Iranian clergy has its own opponents, and a lot of people do not want to see active presence of the clergy in societal affairs.
- The office of Ayatollah Khaz’ali refutes Abbas Palizdar’s accusations on the ayatollah’s economic activities.
- In a vague reference to the Palizdar affair, Supreme Leader Khamenei says “if anybody has complaints or criticism, it should not be formulated in such a way to weaken the executives of the country. Everybody must help to improve weaknesses through solidarity of hearts.”
- Brother of former president Khatami explains strategic and tactical considerations of the reform movement.
- Contradicting earlier remarks, former president Khatami says “In politics there is no such thing as retirement.”
Nuclear Issue
- Larijani urges the 5+1 Group to listen to the warnings of IAEA head El-Baradei, and asks why they send Solana to Tehran if the goal is sanctioning Iran.
Military and Security
- Two university professors in technical universities arrested for allegations of espionage.
- Commander Heidari is appointed Basij chief of Isfahan.
- Hojjat al-Eslam Seyyed Mohammad Moghaddasi is appointed the Supreme Leader’s representative in the Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Army of Greater Tehran.
- Public prosecutor of Zahedan says kidnapping of members of the Law Enforcement Forces is not a Jundallah terrorist operation.
- Iraqi newspaper Al-Nour claims the United States is building four military bases near the Iraq-Iran border.
- Hejazi, number two of the Revolutionary Guards, tells the Americans to bring artificial limbs with themselves if they plan to attack Iran.
- The reader comments ask why the magnificent Revolutionary Guards is not even able to defend members the Law Enforcement Forces from being kidnapped by Jundallah terrorists.
- Revolutionary Guards chief Ja’fari says if the enemy miscalculates, Iran’s answer would be crushing.
- By presidential decree, the Islamic Republic establishes a crisis management council headed by the president and composed of ministers of interior, economy, housing, defense, roads, health, energy, agriculture, communications, science, the mayor of Tehran, army chief of staff, chief of the Law Enforcement Forces, the Revolutionary Guards, the Army, Basij, a deputy speaker of the parliament, deputy head of the Judiciary, heads of the organizations of the Voice and Vision of the Islamic Republic, the Red Crescent, foundation of housing, and head of the Imam Khomeini Relief Organization.
- An Iranian military training plane crashes in Azerbaijan, killing the aviators.
- Chief of the Revolutionary Guards says the IRGC established 31 provincial IRGC units in order to improve the military capabilities of the Guards. Ja’fari says the change aims to improve coordination between the Guards and the Basij. More.
- At a morning ceremony at the Amir al-Mo’emenin University Complex of the Revolutionary Guards Army, Hojjat al-Eslam Talebpour, representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC Army, stressed the necessity of being economical with energy consumption.
- Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Ma’boudi, representative of the Supreme Leader in the Revolutionary Guards of Zanjan, stresses the importance of spreading happiness among the people.
Media
- Minister of Education, along with commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and the Law Enforcement Forces, consider “internet, blogs, web sites, SMS and blue tooth” as a great threat against “media monopoly” and claim they are more dangerous than “drug addiction.”
- Mashallah Shams al-Va’ezin, press freedom activist, condemns the Ministry of Labor’s dissolution of the Iran Press Association.
- Saudi-owned MBC begins broadcasting promotions in Persian prior to beginning its Persian transmissions.
- Headquarters for Commemoration of the Memory of Martyrs of the Islamic World Movement releases a documentary entitled: “Execution of the Pharaoh” about the assassination of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat who, according to Fars News Agency, “was punished for his treason.”
- The Headquarters has earlier released “documentaries” on Emad Mughniyah and Yahya Ayyash, founder of Hamas’ military wing.
- Ansar News claims Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi had warned Tehran mayor Qalibaf about the “excesses of some newspapers” owned by the municipality.
Human Rights and Labor
- Two female students at the University of Sistan va Baluchestan commit suicide after having been summoned to the disciplinary committee and the security office of the university.
- Kurdish ethnic activist Kaboudvand is condemned to 11 years imprisonment.
- Student activists Jamal Rahmani and Rashed Abdollahi detained in the local Intelligence office of Sanandaj.
- Ph.D. student Matin Meshkin is expelled from the university because of engagement in student activities.
Photo of the Day
- Burial of Iran/Iraq war martyrs on the grounds of the Iranian parliament.