Iran News Round Up

[Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation; (E) signifies English-language link]

Politics

Different political actors are readying themselves for the presidential elections:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose campaign leader is Sadeq Mahsouli, presidential advisor, supported by “The Society of Self Sacrificers of the Islamic Revolution.”
Mohammad Khatami, supported by minority of the Kargozaran technocratic elites, Reformist Participation Party, and the Mojahedin-e Enghelab
Hassan Rowhani, Hassan Habibi, Nateq Nouri, Velayati, Larijani, Mousavi or Mohammad-Ali Najafi favored by more conservative majority of Kargozaran..
Qalibaf’s headquarters has been half operational for six months, and has become fully operational during the past couple of days.
Karrubi will run as the presidential candidate of The National Trust reformist party.

In Asr-e Iran’s online polling, Tehran mayor Qalibaf proves most popular while current president Ahmadinejad comes at third.
Ahmadinejad campaign advisor Bazrpash explains the Iranian president’s campaigning methods.
Morteza Alviri says Arak, Khorramabad and Khomein considered as alternatives to Tehran as capital of Iran.
Rahim-Ghorbani, governor of West Azerbaijan, is to be appointed as minister of roads and infrastructure.

According to Asr-e Iran, Chief of Road Police, Commander Rouyanian, to be appointed Minister of Roads and Infrastructure.

There are also rumors of appointing current labor minister Jaromi as minister of interior.

Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli is appointed chief of Supreme Audit Court.
Tehran General Prosecutor Judge Razavi says 13 individuals have been arrested in the Palizdar case.

Diplomacy

Senior presidential advisor Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh refuses the idea of having U.S. diplomats in Tehran.
Sadeq Kharrazi, brother of former foreign minister, says the Supreme Leader makes the final decision in foreign and security policies.
Former ambassador to Syria Mohtashamipour recalls disappearance of four Iranian diplomats in Beirut.

Family of assassinated Egyptian president Anwar Sadat threaten to file a complaint against the Islamic Republic following the release of an Iranian documentary on “treason of Sadat.”
Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons the Islamic Republic’s charge d’affaire to protest against Iran’s alleged appointment of Bahraini citizens as “religious representatives of Iran.”
Isargaran faction spokesman Forouzandeh says U.S. threats against Iran are simply bragging.

Religion, Culture, and Society

The Bureau of Public Offices of Tehran shuts down language institutes in the city because of deficient dress code.
(E) Iran to hoist flag at North Pole.
Khatami vice president Ebtahi writes that in the old days, when kings of Iran in anger ordered the death of great men, the bureaucracy would sometimes give the condemned refuge in a remote village, and would release them when the anger of the kings had subsided. Ebtahi suggests such wisdom should be understood by the book censors in the Islamic Republic.
Alef News Agency analyses the phenomenon of rumors in Iran.
Analysis of recent student protests in Iran.
After disclosures of Abbas Palizdar of economic corruption in the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khazali says his worldly wealth is “half an apartment.”

Media

Deputy general secretary of the National Trust Party, Rasoul Montajabnia says E’temad-e Melli has not been banned, but ”some try to make an impression of enmity between the government and the newspaper.”

Trade

Non-oil exports reach $6 billion.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Cooperatives says cooperatives in construction and developmental sectors have been legalized.
Danger of sturgeon extinction in the Caspian Sea.
Ministry of Trade explains its proposal to restructuring of the subsidies.
The Iranian parliament to pass a bill authorizing the government to transfer $12 billion to import of agricultural goods because of the drought.

Economy

War veterans receive special subsidized fuel smart cards.
Former commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezai, says the Iranian president’s economic reform scheme must be investigated in the Expediency Council.
A look at the inflated housing market in Tehran.
Emrooz News publishes an article on lack of development of South Pars Gas Field involving the largest contractor in Iran, the Revolutionary Guards’ Khatam al-Anbia firm.
After the second meeting of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with around 50 economists who have warned against the crisis of Iranian economy, the Iranian president stresses the importance of taking expertise into consideration when it comes to reform of the economy, but trained economist Mo’meni says that since the president announced his policies two weeks ago, what was the point of meeting the economists? Aftab-e Yazd report, here. Donya-ye Eqtesad’s reports, here. Tehran Times (E) here.

Human Rights and Labor

Bar Sahel-e Salamat shows video footage of student uprisings of 1999.
Police arrest Azad University student activist Salman Sima, editor of student publication Sokhan-e Tazeh.
Azad University student activist Mehdi Khodayee arrested.
Police arrest five student activists at University of Mashhad on charges of protesting against rising prices.
Asr-e Now publishes the account of the martyrdom of Grand Ayatollah Kazem Shariatmadari at the hands of the Islamic Republic, in six parts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Military and Security

(E) Iran arms IRGC with cluster bombs, smart munitions.
Commander Firouzabadi, chief of General Central Command Council of the Islamic Republic Armed Forces, says Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz in case “Our interests are endangered.”
According to Asr-e Iran, the U.S. contemplated attack against ”sensitive centers” in Iran in March, but abstained because of certain considerations.
An Iranian military plane crashes in Khuzestan.
Chief of Emam-e Zaman Division of Ashoura Army says his division has killed a brigand leader in northwestern Iran.
E’temad-e Melli publishes a background article on structural changes in the Revolutionary Guards.
Hossein Salami, chief of the Revolutioanry Guards Air Force, says the IRGC is the biggest challenge to political, security and military hegemony of the U.S. in the region, and says “No one in the world has a clear understanding of the force of the Guards.” Salami added: “Sometimes, the Revolutionary Guards with its entire being, and based on the hypothesis that the true chief of it is the vice regent of the Lord of the Era, the Supreme Leader, is considered equivalent of the entire Revolution, which is no mean achievement.”

Nuclear Issue

Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has responded to individual members of the 5+1 Group, and not to the entire “incentive Package.”
In a veiled criticism of former foreign minister Velayati, government spokesman Elham says it is the government which will decide the nuclear issue.

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